diff --git a/clients/ud/main.c b/clients/ud/main.c
index aebf89c4dc..4e2dac8adb 100644
--- a/clients/ud/main.c
+++ b/clients/ud/main.c
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ change_base( int type, char **base, char *s )
 {
 	register char *cp;			/* utility pointers */
 	char **rdns;				/* for parsing */
-	char *output_string;			/* for nice output */
+	char *output_string = NULL;		/* for nice output */
 	int num_picked;				/* # of selected base */
 	int j;					/* used with num_picked */
 	int i = 1;				/* index into choices array */
diff --git a/clients/ud/util.c b/clients/ud/util.c
index 16253263a4..6505f52ecc 100644
--- a/clients/ud/util.c
+++ b/clients/ud/util.c
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ printbase( char *lead, char *s )
 	if (debug & D_TRACE)
 		printf("->printbase(%s, %s)\n", lead, s);
 #endif
+	if (lead == NULL) {
+		printf("root");
+		return;
+	}
 	if (s == NULL) {
 		printf("%sroot\n", lead);
 		return;