diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/ControlDevice.h b/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/ControlDevice.h
index b56bd3b47696d37599d777132f2e406b766390b7..126d5934665034af3c510995e7442f0ccbb4d3c6 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/ControlDevice.h
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/ControlDevice.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ namespace armarx
     private:
         friend class RobotUnitModule::Devices;
         /// @brief The owning \ref RobotUnit. (is set when this \ref SensorDevice is added to the \ref RobotUnit)
-        std::atomic<RobotUnitModule::Devices*> owner;
+        std::atomic<RobotUnitModule::Devices*> owner {nullptr};
         /// @brief The \ref JointController "JointControllers" managed by this \ref ControlDevice
         KeyValueVector<std::string, JointController*> jointControllers;
         /// @brief The currently executed \ref JointController
diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/SensorDevice.h b/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/SensorDevice.h
index f3f1a237e4230f38d5f871d5611391f2341f0b9e..5b9cb4e877f050e22b9d5aa7cab0a05bc3bf8b8c 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/SensorDevice.h
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/components/units/RobotUnit/Devices/SensorDevice.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace armarx
     private:
         friend class RobotUnitModule::Devices;
         /// @brief The owning \ref RobotUnit. (is set when this \ref SensorDevice is added to the \ref RobotUnit)
-        std::atomic<RobotUnitModule::Devices*> owner;
+        std::atomic<RobotUnitModule::Devices*> owner {nullptr};
     };
 
     template<class SensorValueType>