diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/paging_tmpl.h b/arch/x86/kvm/paging_tmpl.h
index 258e4591e1ca02246801fc380ae19472b2375b0a..67785f635399fdf26e09528589e41c41a1202a7a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/paging_tmpl.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/paging_tmpl.h
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ static u64 *FNAME(fetch)(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, gva_t addr,
 {
 	unsigned access = gw->pt_access;
 	struct kvm_mmu_page *shadow_page;
-	u64 spte, *sptep;
+	u64 spte, *sptep = NULL;
 	int direct;
 	gfn_t table_gfn;
 	int r;