diff --git a/doc/TODO.012 b/doc/TODO.012
index 860b26d1e9..61bf76e23f 100644
--- a/doc/TODO.012
+++ b/doc/TODO.012
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Backport items for 0.1.2:
   o r10240,10242: avoid choosing family of exit as guard.
   o r10248: handle lack of nul at end of mmaped data.
   - r10346: Try even harder not to look at the first byte after an mmap.
-  - r10376, r10396: Fix segfaults in directory code
+  o r10376, r10396: Fix segfaults in directory code
   - r10478: stop tearing down entire circuits because the user asked for
 	    a nonexistent hidden service port
   - r10493: weight guard selection by bandwidth (??)
diff --git a/src/or/directory.c b/src/or/directory.c
index 974e92583d..6bed668ea5 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.c
+++ b/src/or/directory.c
@@ -1853,7 +1853,7 @@ directory_handle_command_post(dir_connection_t *conn, const char *headers,
   log_debug(LD_DIRSERV,"rewritten url as '%s'.", url);
 
   if (!strcmp(url,"/tor/")) { /* server descriptor post */
-    const char *msg;
+    const char *msg = NULL;
     int r = dirserv_add_descriptor(body, &msg);
     tor_assert(msg);
     if (r > 0)