diff --git a/src/pl/plperl/plperl.c b/src/pl/plperl/plperl.c
index 5f40f1e501aed61079d6aae16ca57721dd4a7e63..72e1e5106a679a463db19c61ae96ef321eb309f2 100644
--- a/src/pl/plperl/plperl.c
+++ b/src/pl/plperl/plperl.c
@@ -1990,7 +1990,7 @@ plperl_func_handler(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 {
 	plperl_proc_desc *prodesc;
 	SV		   *perlret;
-	Datum		retval;
+	Datum		retval = 0;
 	ReturnSetInfo *rsi;
 	ErrorContextCallback pl_error_context;
 	bool		has_retval = false;