diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
index 28fd735ab9..5c7cce7b57 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
@@ -1692,6 +1692,7 @@ static int init_one_device(opal_list_t *btl_list, struct ibv_device* ib_dev)
         goto error;
     }
 #if HAVE_DECL_IBV_EXP_QUERY_DEVICE
+    memset(&device->ib_exp_dev_attr, 0, sizeof(device->ib_exp_dev_attr));
     device->ib_exp_dev_attr.comp_mask = IBV_EXP_DEVICE_ATTR_RESERVED - 1;
     if(ibv_exp_query_device(device->ib_dev_context, &device->ib_exp_dev_attr)){
         BTL_ERROR(("error obtaining device attributes for %s errno says %s",