@@ -1414,8 +1414,8 @@ static void

 findmust(struct parse *p, struct re_guts *g)

 {

 	sop *scan;

-	sop *start;    /* start initialized in the default case, after that */

-	sop *newstart; /* newstart was initialized in the OCHAR case */

+	sop *start = NULL;    /* start initialized in the default case, after that */

+	sop *newstart = NULL; /* newstart was initialized in the OCHAR case */

 	sopno newlen;

 	sop s;

 	char *cp;

@@ -1466,6 +1466,10 @@ findmust(struct parse *p, struct re_guts *g)

 	if (g->mlen == 0)		/* there isn't one */

 		return;

+	if (start == NULL) {		/* something went wrong */

+		g->mlen = 0;

+		return;

+	}

 	/* turn it into a character string */

 	g->must = cli_malloc((size_t)g->mlen + 1);