diff --git a/widget/src/mac/nsMenuBar.cpp b/widget/src/mac/nsMenuBar.cpp
index a81979d7e779..3b97299239bf 100644
--- a/widget/src/mac/nsMenuBar.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/mac/nsMenuBar.cpp
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ nsMenuBar::MenuConstruct( const nsMenuEvent & aMenuEvent, nsIWidget* aParentWind
           menuElement->GetAttribute(NS_ConvertASCIItoUCS2("id"), menuIDstring);
           if(menuIDstring.EqualsWithConversion("menu_Help")) {
             nsMenuEvent event;
-            MenuHandle handle;
+            MenuHandle handle = nsnull;
 #if !(defined(RHAPSODY) || defined(TARGET_CARBON))
             ::HMGetHelpMenuHandle(&handle);
 #endif