diff --git a/misc/ifstat.c b/misc/ifstat.c
index 1cd55c48..7d33f5e3 100644
--- a/misc/ifstat.c
+++ b/misc/ifstat.c
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 		if (!ignore_history) {
 			FILE *tfp;
-			long uptime;
+			long uptime = -1;
 			if ((tfp = fopen("/proc/uptime", "r")) != NULL) {
 				if (fscanf(tfp, "%ld", &uptime) != 1)
 					uptime = -1;
diff --git a/misc/nstat.c b/misc/nstat.c
index 4f73c628..2f06ffdd 100644
--- a/misc/nstat.c
+++ b/misc/nstat.c
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 		if (!ignore_history) {
 			FILE *tfp;
-			long uptime;
+			long uptime = -1;
 			if ((tfp = fopen("/proc/uptime", "r")) != NULL) {
 				if (fscanf(tfp, "%ld", &uptime) != 1)
 					uptime = -1;
diff --git a/misc/rtacct.c b/misc/rtacct.c
index ab8fdbb8..49168bdd 100644
--- a/misc/rtacct.c
+++ b/misc/rtacct.c
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		if (!ignore_history) {
 			FILE *tfp;
-			long uptime;
+			long uptime = -1;
 			if ((tfp = fopen("/proc/uptime", "r")) != NULL) {
 				if (fscanf(tfp, "%ld", &uptime) != 1)
 					uptime = -1;