diff --git a/src/core/settings.c b/src/core/settings.c
index 55f96383..b00c0d07 100644
--- a/src/core/settings.c
+++ b/src/core/settings.c
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ int fetch_string_setting_copy ( struct settings *settings,
 				struct setting *setting,
 				char **data ) {
 	int len;
-	int check_len;
+	int check_len = 0;
 
 	len = fetch_setting_len ( settings, setting );
 	if ( len < 0 )
@@ -458,7 +458,8 @@ int fetch_string_setting_copy ( struct settings *settings,
 	if ( ! *data )
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	fetch_string_setting ( settings, setting, *data, ( len + 1 ) );
+	check_len = fetch_string_setting ( settings, setting, *data,
+					   ( len + 1 ) );
 	assert ( check_len == len );
 	return len;
 }