diff --git a/src/target/arm_adi_v5.c b/src/target/arm_adi_v5.c
index aa7f4cf64..dfbc5ade2 100644
--- a/src/target/arm_adi_v5.c
+++ b/src/target/arm_adi_v5.c
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ static int mem_ap_write(struct adiv5_ap *ap, const uint8_t *buffer, uint32_t siz
 	const uint32_t csw_addrincr = addrinc ? CSW_ADDRINC_SINGLE : CSW_ADDRINC_OFF;
 	uint32_t csw_size;
 	uint32_t addr_xor;
-	int retval;
+	int retval = ERROR_OK;
 
 	/* TI BE-32 Quirks mode:
 	 * Writes on big-endian TMS570 behave very strangely. Observed behavior:
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ static int mem_ap_read(struct adiv5_ap *ap, uint8_t *buffer, uint32_t size, uint
 	const uint32_t csw_addrincr = addrinc ? CSW_ADDRINC_SINGLE : CSW_ADDRINC_OFF;
 	uint32_t csw_size;
 	uint32_t address = adr;
-	int retval;
+	int retval = ERROR_OK;
 
 	/* TI BE-32 Quirks mode:
 	 * Reads on big-endian TMS570 behave strangely differently than writes.