diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c
index 99666272ea..c64b91a7bc 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c
@@ -1758,7 +1758,7 @@ int mca_base_var_dump(int index, char ***out, mca_base_var_dump_type_t output_ty
     int i, line_count, line = 0, enum_count = 0;
     char *value_string, *source_string, *tmp;
     int synonym_count, ret, *synonyms = NULL;
-    mca_base_var_t *var, *original;
+    mca_base_var_t *var, *original=NULL;
     mca_base_var_group_t *group;
 
     ret = var_get(index, &var, false);
@@ -1776,6 +1776,10 @@ int mca_base_var_dump(int index, char ***out, mca_base_var_dump_type_t output_ty
         if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
             return ret;
         }
+        /* just for protection... */
+        if (NULL == original) {
+            return OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
+        }
     }
 
     framework = group->group_framework;
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_group.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_group.c
index 64066ea34c..fa9ed247f1 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_group.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_group.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ static int group_find (const char *project_name, const char *framework_name,
                        const char *component_name, bool invalidok)
 {
     char *full_name;
-    int ret, index;
+    int ret, index=0;
 
     if (!mca_base_var_initialized) {
         return OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND;