diff --git a/include/osg/DeleteHandler b/include/osg/DeleteHandler
index ea728d537..f912dd3d1 100644
--- a/include/osg/DeleteHandler
+++ b/include/osg/DeleteHandler
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ class OSG_EXPORT DeleteHandler
 
     protected:
 
-        DeleteHandler(const DeleteHandler&) {}
+        DeleteHandler(const DeleteHandler&):
+            _numFramesToRetainObjects(0),
+            _currentFrameNumber(0) {}
         DeleteHandler operator = (const DeleteHandler&) { return *this; }
 
         int                 _numFramesToRetainObjects;
diff --git a/src/osg/DeleteHandler.cpp b/src/osg/DeleteHandler.cpp
index 4ac262b2d..1781ce6d0 100644
--- a/src/osg/DeleteHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/DeleteHandler.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ struct DeleteHandlerPointer
 
 
 DeleteHandler::DeleteHandler(int numberOfFramesToRetainObjects):
-    _numFramesToRetainObjects(numberOfFramesToRetainObjects)
+    _numFramesToRetainObjects(numberOfFramesToRetainObjects),
+    _currentFrameNumber(0)
 {
 }