diff --git a/sys/contrib/ipfilter/netinet/ip_rcmd_pxy.c b/sys/contrib/ipfilter/netinet/ip_rcmd_pxy.c
index 4b453c037d08..29aec0044f3a 100644
--- a/sys/contrib/ipfilter/netinet/ip_rcmd_pxy.c
+++ b/sys/contrib/ipfilter/netinet/ip_rcmd_pxy.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ ipf_p_rcmd_portmsg(fin, aps, nat)
 	ip6_t *ip6;
 #endif
 	int tcpsz;
-	int slen;
+	int slen = 0; /* silence gcc */
 	ip_t *ip;
 	mb_t *m;