diff --git a/src/H5Dint.c b/src/H5Dint.c
index 1624f7b71c..2539b2c3ac 100644
--- a/src/H5Dint.c
+++ b/src/H5Dint.c
@@ -207,6 +207,9 @@ H5D__init_package(void)
 
     /* Reset the "default dataset" information */
     HDmemset(&H5D_def_dset, 0, sizeof(H5D_shared_t));
+    H5D_def_dset.type_id = H5I_INVALID_HID;
+    H5D_def_dset.dapl_id = H5I_INVALID_HID;
+    H5D_def_dset.dcpl_id = H5I_INVALID_HID;
 
     /* Get the default dataset creation property list values and initialize the
      * default dataset with them.