diff --git a/components/synedit/synedittextbuffer.pp b/components/synedit/synedittextbuffer.pp
index 45511e5d6c..03d9b69976 100644
--- a/components/synedit/synedittextbuffer.pp
+++ b/components/synedit/synedittextbuffer.pp
@@ -1147,6 +1147,7 @@ end;
 
 function TSynEditStringList.GetPChar(ALineIndex: Integer; out ALen: Integer): PChar;
 begin
+  ALen := 0;
   if (ALineIndex = 0) and (Count = 0) then  // simulate empty line
     Result := nil
   else