diff --git a/src/main/cpp/edu_stanford_ramcloud_JRamCloud.cc b/src/main/cpp/edu_stanford_ramcloud_JRamCloud.cc
index 830fd47..775674e 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/edu_stanford_ramcloud_JRamCloud.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/edu_stanford_ramcloud_JRamCloud.cc
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@
 {
     RamCloud* ramcloud = getRamCloud(env, jRamCloud);
     JByteArrayReference key(env, jKey);
-    uint64_t version;
+    uint64_t version = VERSION_NONEXISTENT;
     try {
         ramcloud->remove(jTableId, key.pointer, key.length, NULL, &version);
     } EXCEPTION_CATCHER(-1);
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@
     JByteArrayReference key(env, jKey);
     RejectRules rules = {};
     setRejectRules(env, jRejectRules, rules);
-    uint64_t version;
+    uint64_t version = VERSION_NONEXISTENT;
     try {
         ramcloud->remove(jTableId, key.pointer, key.length, &rules, &version);
     } EXCEPTION_CATCHER(-1);