--- a/sys/bus/ppbus/ppb_base.c	2026-10-08 23:00:10.320518500 +0000
+++ b/sys/bus/ppbus/ppb_base.c	2026-10-08 23:00:23.688345817 +0000
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@
 int
 ppb_get_epp_protocol(device_t bus)
 {
-	uintptr_t protocol;
+	/* initialize: a parent bus may fail the ivar read without
+	 * writing *result, and the return value is discarded below */
+	uintptr_t protocol = EPP_1_9;
 
 	BUS_READ_IVAR(device_get_parent(bus), bus, PPC_IVAR_EPP_PROTO, &protocol);