diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/def.h b/tools/qfcc/include/def.h
index e63e077f4..f21d2e4cb 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/def.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/def.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ typedef struct def_s {
 	struct reloc_s *refs;			// for relocations
 
 	unsigned		initialized:1;	// for uninit var detection
+	unsigned		set:1;			// uninit var auto-inited
 	unsigned		constant:1;	// 1 when a declaration included "= immediate"
 	unsigned		freed:1;		// already freed from the scope
 	unsigned		removed:1;		// already removed from the symbol table
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/function.h b/tools/qfcc/include/function.h
index d3ed1b0ac..2ef0cb98b 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/function.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/function.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ typedef struct function_s {
 	struct def_s       *def;
 	struct scope_s     *scope;
 	struct reloc_s     *refs;
+	struct expr_s      *var_init;
 } function_t;
 
 extern function_t *current_func;
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c b/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c
index 8177a7e38..5dd4815e3 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c
@@ -291,15 +291,26 @@ type_mismatch (expr_t *e1, expr_t *e2, int op)
 static void
 check_initialized (expr_t *e)
 {
-	if (options.warnings.uninited_variable) {
-		if (e->type == ex_def
-			&& !(e->e.def->type->type == ev_func
-				 && e->e.def->global)
-			&& !(e->e.def->type->type == ev_struct)
-			&& !e->e.def->external
-			&& !e->e.def->initialized) {
-			warning (e, "%s may be used uninitialized", e->e.def->name);
-			e->e.def->initialized = 1;	// only warn once
+	const char *name;
+
+	if (e->type == ex_def
+		&& !(e->e.def->type->type == ev_func
+			 && e->e.def->global)
+		&& !(e->e.def->type->type == ev_struct)
+		&& !e->e.def->external
+		&& !e->e.def->initialized) {
+		name = e->e.def->name;
+		if (options.warnings.uninited_variable)
+			warning (e, "%s may be used uninitialized", name);
+		e->e.def->initialized = 1;	// only warn once
+		if (options.traditional && !e->e.def->set) {
+			e->e.def->set = 1;	// only auto-init once
+			e = assign_expr (e, new_nil_expr ());
+			e->file = current_func->s_file;
+			e->line = current_func->def->line;
+			e->next = current_func->var_init;
+			current_func->var_init = e;
+			notice (e, "auto-initializing %s", name);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/function.c b/tools/qfcc/source/function.c
index 3727b1c02..296461edb 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/function.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/function.c
@@ -274,6 +274,11 @@ emit_function (function_t *f, expr_t *e)
 	if (f->aux)
 		lineno_base = f->aux->source_line;
 
+	while (f->var_init) {
+		emit_expr (f->var_init);
+		f->var_init = f->var_init->next;
+	}
+
 	current_scope = f->scope;
 	while (e) {
 		//printf ("%d ", pr.source_line);
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/idstuff.c b/tools/qfcc/source/idstuff.c
index 7c97d8620..a6f935150 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/idstuff.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/idstuff.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ WriteProgdefs (const char *filename)
 			 RESERVED_OFS);
 
 	for (d = pr.scope->head; d; d = d->def_next) {
-		if (!strcmp (d->name, "end_sys_globals"))
+		if (d->name && !strcmp (d->name, "end_sys_globals"))
 			break;
 		if (!d->ofs)
 			continue;
@@ -259,10 +259,10 @@ WriteProgdefs (const char *filename)
 	// print all fields
 	fprintf (f, "typedef struct\n{\n");
 	for (d = pr.scope->head; d; d = d->def_next) {
-		if (!strcmp (d->name, "end_sys_fields"))
+		if (d->name && !strcmp (d->name, "end_sys_fields"))
 			break;
 
-		if (!d->ofs || d->type->type != ev_field)
+		if (!d->name || !d->ofs || d->type->type != ev_field)
 			continue;
 
 		switch (d->type->aux_type->type) {