diff --git a/emper/io/IoContext.hpp b/emper/io/IoContext.hpp
index 2a0ba954455203db6dd337c031701e3a47c1b220..67ee0e998e280a623ca8945f12c76e58ee299cd2 100644
--- a/emper/io/IoContext.hpp
+++ b/emper/io/IoContext.hpp
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ class IoContext : public Logger<LogSubsystem::IO> {
 	 */
 	template <CallerEnvironment callerEnvironment>
 	[[nodiscard]] auto reapSingleCompletion() -> Fiber * {
-		Fiber *fiber;
+		Fiber *fiber = nullptr;
 
 		if constexpr (emper::WAITFREE_IO_STEALING) {
 			auto res = tryReapCompletionWaitFree<callerEnvironment>(&fiber);