diff --git a/fabtests/common/shared.c b/fabtests/common/shared.c
index a0e278955bf..bf021592706 100644
--- a/fabtests/common/shared.c
+++ b/fabtests/common/shared.c
@@ -2914,7 +2914,7 @@ void eq_readerr(struct fid_eq *eq, const char *eq_str)
 
 int ft_sync()
 {
-	char buf;
+	char buf = 'a';
 	int ret;
 
 	if (opts.dst_addr) {
diff --git a/fabtests/functional/rdm_deferred_wq.c b/fabtests/functional/rdm_deferred_wq.c
index a250a17d99b..7526c709861 100644
--- a/fabtests/functional/rdm_deferred_wq.c
+++ b/fabtests/functional/rdm_deferred_wq.c
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ static void format_simple_msg_tagged(struct fi_msg_tagged *msg, struct iovec *io
 	msg->addr = remote_fi_addr;
 	msg->data = 0;
 	msg->tag = tag;
+	msg->ignore = 0;
 
 	iov->iov_base = src;
 	iov->iov_len = size;
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ static void format_simple_msg_rma(struct fi_msg_rma *msg, struct iovec *iov,
 	msg->iov_count = 1;
 	msg->addr = remote_fi_addr;
 	msg->rma_iov_count = 1;
+	msg->data = 0;
 
 	iov->iov_base = src;
 	iov->iov_len = size;
diff --git a/fabtests/multinode/src/harness.c b/fabtests/multinode/src/harness.c
index 77f7c003067..e56a55918ae 100644
--- a/fabtests/multinode/src/harness.c
+++ b/fabtests/multinode/src/harness.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ int pm_allgather(void *my_item, void *items, int item_size)
 
 void pm_barrier(void)
 {
-	char ch;
+	char ch = 'a';
 	char *chs = alloca(pm_job.num_ranks);
 
 	pm_allgather(&ch, chs, 1);