diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/papr_vpd/papr_vpd.c b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/papr_vpd/papr_vpd.c
index 505294da1b9f..d6f99eb9be65 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/papr_vpd/papr_vpd.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/papr_vpd/papr_vpd.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ static int dev_papr_vpd_null_handle(void)
 static int papr_vpd_close_handle_without_reading(void)
 {
 	const int devfd = open(DEVPATH, O_RDONLY);
-	struct papr_location_code lc;
+	struct papr_location_code lc = { .str = "", };
 	int fd;
 
 	SKIP_IF_MSG(devfd < 0 && errno == ENOENT,