diff --git a/ghc/lib/std/cbits/openFile.c b/ghc/lib/std/cbits/openFile.c
index 90ae2d8d95549a04416d3e16c86868768d8ac948..5be41540e07d64dfbd191c1f5447e2d37e79dd92 100644
--- a/ghc/lib/std/cbits/openFile.c
+++ b/ghc/lib/std/cbits/openFile.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* 
  * (c) The GRASP/AQUA Project, Glasgow University, 1994-1998
  *
- * $Id: openFile.c,v 1.12 1999/11/26 16:25:56 simonmar Exp $
+ * $Id: openFile.c,v 1.13 1999/12/08 14:04:32 simonmar Exp $
  *
  * openFile Runtime Support
  */
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ StgInt rd;
     fo->buf      = NULL;
     fo->bufWPtr  = 0;
     fo->bufRPtr  = 0;
+    fo->bufStart = 0;
     fo->flags    = FILEOBJ_STD | ( rd ? FILEOBJ_READ : FILEOBJ_WRITE);
     fo->connectedTo = NULL;