diff --git a/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.cc b/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.cc
index dff9c3c4bb41da9de0adcf17a290873e380b1cbf..db86ad8efa93ac84db12e2aed5a71176bafebd21 100644
--- a/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.cc
+++ b/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.cc
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ MAVLinkProtocol::MAVLinkProtocol(QGCApplication* app, QGCToolbox* toolbox)
     memset(totalLossCounter,    0, sizeof(totalLossCounter));
     memset(runningLossPercent,  0, sizeof(runningLossPercent));
     memset(firstMessage,        1, sizeof(firstMessage));
+    memset(&_status,            0, sizeof(_status));
+    memset(&_message,           0, sizeof(_message));
 }
 
 MAVLinkProtocol::~MAVLinkProtocol()
diff --git a/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.h b/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.h
index 35947162b6902dbec6508a71772047fc1ba5e9db..cd2a30568511b0aaa31ded882cdc7c0224e549b3 100644
--- a/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.h
+++ b/src/comm/MAVLinkProtocol.h
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ protected:
     uint64_t    totalLossCounter[MAVLINK_COMM_NUM_BUFFERS];     ///< Total messages lost during transmission.
     float       runningLossPercent[MAVLINK_COMM_NUM_BUFFERS];   ///< Loss rate
 
-    mavlink_message_t _message = {};
-    mavlink_status_t _status   = {};
+    mavlink_message_t _message;
+    mavlink_status_t _status;
 
     bool        versionMismatchIgnore;
     int         systemId;