diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc
index a3243e243..25695d1d9 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ bool RWSplitSession::route_single_stmt(GWBUF* querybuf)
     uint32_t qtype = info.type_mask();
     route_target_t route_target = info.target();
 
-    RWBackend* target;
+    RWBackend* target = nullptr;
 
     if (TARGET_IS_ALL(route_target))
     {
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ static inline bool rpl_lag_is_ok(RWBackend* backend, int max_rlag)
 
 RWBackend* RWSplitSession::get_hinted_backend(char* name)
 {
-    RWBackend* rval;
+    RWBackend* rval = nullptr;
 
     for (auto it = m_raw_backends.begin(); it != m_raw_backends.end(); it++)
     {
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ RWBackend* RWSplitSession::get_slave_backend(int max_rlag)
 
 RWBackend* RWSplitSession::get_master_backend()
 {
-    RWBackend* rval;
+    RWBackend* rval = nullptr;
     /** get root master from available servers */
     RWBackend* master = get_root_master(m_raw_backends);
 
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ RWBackend* RWSplitSession::get_target_backend(backend_type_t btype,
         return m_target_node;
     }
 
-    RWBackend* rval;
+    RWBackend* rval = nullptr;
 
     if (name)   /*< Choose backend by name from a hint */
     {
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ RWBackend* RWSplitSession::handle_hinted_target(GWBUF* querybuf, route_target_t
 RWBackend* RWSplitSession::handle_slave_is_target(uint8_t cmd, uint32_t stmt_id)
 {
     int rlag_max = get_max_replication_lag();
-    RWBackend* target;
+    RWBackend* target = nullptr;
 
     if (cmd == MXS_COM_STMT_FETCH)
     {
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_select_backends.cc b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_select_backends.cc
index 55d4015aa..e99f1d01f 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_select_backends.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_select_backends.cc
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ static void log_server_connections(select_criteria_t criteria, const PRWBackends
 
 RWBackend* get_root_master(const PRWBackends& backends)
 {
-    RWBackend* master;
+    RWBackend* master = nullptr;
     for (auto candidate : backends)
     {
         if (candidate->is_master())
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc
index ff8c82e85..b36386790 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ RWSplitSession* RWSplitSession::create(RWSplit* router, MXS_SESSION* session)
          * If sessions without master are allowed, only a slave must be found.
          */
 
-        RWBackend* master;
+        RWBackend* master = nullptr;
 
         auto backend_ptrs = sptr_vec_to_ptr_vec(backends);