diff --git a/SAS/OTDB/src/setStatus.cc b/SAS/OTDB/src/setStatus.cc
index 896215e63523c7f54cacbdc75ed919e1f45198b0..ef460f9f3332ceae6c4d89dc191b412de74adb4a 100644
--- a/SAS/OTDB/src/setStatus.cc
+++ b/SAS/OTDB/src/setStatus.cc
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
   INIT_LOGGER("setStatus");
 
-  treeIDType obsID;
+  treeIDType obsID = 0;
   std::string status; // queued, active, completing, finished, aborted
 
   /*