diff --git a/docs/rh-log.txt b/docs/rh-log.txt
index ec1efb083..21805e309 100644
--- a/docs/rh-log.txt
+++ b/docs/rh-log.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 November 27, 2009  (Changes by Graf Zahl)
+- fixed an uninitialized variable in p_xlat.cpp (Thanks, MSVC for not
+  warning about such an obvious problem! :( )
 - fixed: The charge attack of Heretic's imp is not precisely the same
   as A_SkullAttack with a different speed so A_ImpMsAttack has been
   reinstated.
diff --git a/src/p_xlat.cpp b/src/p_xlat.cpp
index 7ec97f3e6..9e87d13ba 100644
--- a/src/p_xlat.cpp
+++ b/src/p_xlat.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ void P_TranslateLineDef (line_t *ld, maplinedef_t *mld)
 	unsigned short special = (unsigned short) LittleShort(mld->special);
 	short tag = LittleShort(mld->tag);
 	DWORD flags = LittleShort(mld->flags);
-	INTBOOL passthrough;
+	INTBOOL passthrough = 0;
 
 	DWORD flags1 = flags;
 	DWORD newflags = 0;