diff --git a/src/vendorcode/cavium/bdk/libdram/dram-spd.c b/src/vendorcode/cavium/bdk/libdram/dram-spd.c
index 84df69a923..894a0604c4 100644
--- a/src/vendorcode/cavium/bdk/libdram/dram-spd.c
+++ b/src/vendorcode/cavium/bdk/libdram/dram-spd.c
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ void report_ddr3_dimm(bdk_node_t node, const dimm_config_t *dimm_config,
                       int dram_width, int dimm_size_mb)
 {
     int spd_voltage;
-    const char *volt_str;
+    const char *volt_str = "unknown voltage";
 
     spd_voltage = read_spd(node, dimm_config, DDR3_SPD_NOMINAL_VOLTAGE);
     if ((spd_voltage == 0) || (spd_voltage & 3))
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ void report_ddr4_dimm(bdk_node_t node, const dimm_config_t *dimm_config,
                       int dram_width, int dimm_size_mb)
 {
     int spd_voltage;
-    const char *volt_str;
+    const char *volt_str = "unknown voltage";
 
     spd_voltage = read_spd(node, dimm_config, DDR4_SPD_MODULE_NOMINAL_VOLTAGE);
     if ((spd_voltage == 0x01) || (spd_voltage & 0x02))