diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
index 7ff0666c0..b7184c828 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ namespace db
 //  the iterator provides the hierarchical selection (enabling/disabling cells etc.)
 
 LayoutToNetlist::LayoutToNetlist (const db::RecursiveShapeIterator &iter)
-  : m_iter (iter), m_layout_index (0), m_netlist_extracted (false), m_is_flat (false)
+  : m_iter (iter), m_layout_index (0), m_netlist_extracted (false), m_is_flat (false), m_device_scaling (1.0)
 {
   //  check the iterator
   if (iter.has_complex_region () || iter.region () != db::Box::world ()) {