diff --git a/netwerk/protocol/http/src/nsHTTPChannel.cpp b/netwerk/protocol/http/src/nsHTTPChannel.cpp
index 7fe36d625e59..06c1cf677669 100644
--- a/netwerk/protocol/http/src/nsHTTPChannel.cpp
+++ b/netwerk/protocol/http/src/nsHTTPChannel.cpp
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ nsHTTPChannel::Authenticate(const char *iChallenge, nsIChannel **oChannel)
                                                               prompter, PROXY_SYNC,
                                                               (void**)&proxyprompter);
 
-        PRUnichar *user, *passwd;
+        PRUnichar *user=NULL, *passwd=NULL;
         PRBool retval;
 
         nsAutoString message = "Enter username for "; //TODO localize it!