diff --git a/endpoints/trigger.py b/endpoints/trigger.py
index 04f5d11b9..79e39c8ab 100644
--- a/endpoints/trigger.py
+++ b/endpoints/trigger.py
@@ -1276,6 +1276,7 @@ class GitLabBuildTrigger(BuildTriggerHandler):
     if repo is False:
       raise TriggerStartException('Could not find repository')
 
+    committer = None
     if 'committer_email' in commit:
       try:
         [committer] = gl_client.getusers(search=commit['committer_email'])