diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h b/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h
index 8e73440f5b..638f3efefc 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h
@@ -132,18 +132,18 @@ public:
     // either to a node (via its active socket) or to a manual sockaddr
     qint64 sendUnreliablePacket(const NLPacket& packet, const Node& destinationNode);
     qint64 sendUnreliablePacket(const NLPacket& packet, const HifiSockAddr& sockAddr,
-                                HmacAuth& hmacAuth = HmacAuth(), const QUuid& connectionSecret = QUuid());
+                                HmacAuth& hmacAuth = HmacAuth::nullHmacAuth, const QUuid& connectionSecret = QUuid());
 
     // use sendPacket to send a moved unreliable or reliable NL packet to a node's active socket or manual sockaddr
     qint64 sendPacket(std::unique_ptr<NLPacket> packet, const Node& destinationNode);
     qint64 sendPacket(std::unique_ptr<NLPacket> packet, const HifiSockAddr& sockAddr,
-                      HmacAuth& hmacAuth = HmacAuth(), const QUuid& connectionSecret = QUuid());
+                      HmacAuth& hmacAuth = HmacAuth::nullHmacAuth, const QUuid& connectionSecret = QUuid());
 
     // use sendUnreliableUnorderedPacketList to unreliably send separate packets from the packet list
     // either to a node's active socket or to a manual sockaddr
     qint64 sendUnreliableUnorderedPacketList(NLPacketList& packetList, const Node& destinationNode);
     qint64 sendUnreliableUnorderedPacketList(NLPacketList& packetList, const HifiSockAddr& sockAddr,
-                                             HmacAuth& hmacAuth = HmacAuth(), const QUuid& connectionSecret = QUuid());
+                                             HmacAuth& hmacAuth = HmacAuth::nullHmacAuth, const QUuid& connectionSecret = QUuid());
 
     // use sendPacketList to send reliable packet lists (ordered or unordered) to a node's active socket
     // or to a manual sock addr
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.cpp
index ca0ec39b94..47f0e4d224 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 #include <QUuid>
 
+HmacAuth HmacAuth::nullHmacAuth;
+
 HmacAuth::HmacAuth(AuthMethod authMethod)
     : _hmacContext(new(HMAC_CTX))
     , _authMethod(authMethod) {
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.h b/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.h
index b39423de95..4970f08ca6 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/HmacAuth.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ public:
     bool addData(const char * data, int dataLen);
     HmacHash result();
 
+    static HmacAuth nullHmacAuth;
+
 private:
     QMutex _lock;
     std::unique_ptr<struct hmac_ctx_st> _hmacContext;