diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
index f7519865a8..f436c8f68f 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@ void VoxelTree::recurseNodeWithOperationDistanceSorted(VoxelNode* node, RecurseV
 
     if (operation(node, extraData)) {
         // determine the distance sorted order of our children
-        VoxelNode*  sortedChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN];
-        float       distancesToChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN];
-        int         indexOfChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN]; // not really needed
+        VoxelNode*  sortedChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN] = { NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL };
+        float       distancesToChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
+        int         indexOfChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }; // not really needed
         int         currentCount = 0;
 
         for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {
@@ -1231,9 +1231,9 @@ int VoxelTree::encodeTreeBitstreamRecursion(VoxelNode* node, unsigned char* outp
     int inViewNotLeafCount = 0;
     int inViewWithColorCount = 0;
 
-    VoxelNode*  sortedChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN];
-    float       distancesToChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN];
-    int         indexOfChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN]; // not really needed
+    VoxelNode*  sortedChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN] = { NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL };
+    float       distancesToChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
+    int         indexOfChildren[NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }; // not really needed
     int         currentCount = 0;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {