diff --git a/panda/src/downloader/bioStreamBuf.cxx b/panda/src/downloader/bioStreamBuf.cxx
index 8278505c57..3bf159899f 100644
--- a/panda/src/downloader/bioStreamBuf.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/downloader/bioStreamBuf.cxx
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ underflow() {
             << _source->get_port() << " (" << read_count << ").\n";
           notify_ssl_errors();
 
-          SSL *ssl;
+          SSL *ssl = NULL;
           BIO_get_ssl(*_source, &ssl);
           if (ssl != (SSL *)NULL) {
             downloader_cat.warning()
diff --git a/panda/src/downloader/httpChannel.cxx b/panda/src/downloader/httpChannel.cxx
index b5f5465b46..124f64e836 100644
--- a/panda/src/downloader/httpChannel.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/downloader/httpChannel.cxx
@@ -1315,7 +1315,7 @@ run_setup_ssl() {
   _sbio = BIO_new_ssl(_client->get_ssl_ctx(), true);
   BIO_push(_sbio, *_bio);
 
-  SSL *ssl;
+  SSL *ssl = NULL;
   BIO_get_ssl(_sbio, &ssl);
   nassertr(ssl != (SSL *)NULL, false);
   string cipher_list = _client->get_cipher_list();
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ run_ssl_handshake() {
     return false;
   }
 
-  SSL *ssl;
+  SSL *ssl = NULL;
   BIO_get_ssl(_sbio, &ssl);
   nassertr(ssl != (SSL *)NULL, false);