diff --git a/Reconstruction/egamma/egammaValidation/src/EgammaMonitoring.h b/Reconstruction/egamma/egammaValidation/src/EgammaMonitoring.h
index 187bb06aee7aa83eab7ac2b7d9b6169d31928162..31263799a815dbe75a3b2dc5f6229cf672f71dca 100644
--- a/Reconstruction/egamma/egammaValidation/src/EgammaMonitoring.h
+++ b/Reconstruction/egamma/egammaValidation/src/EgammaMonitoring.h
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ class EgammaMonitoring : public AthAlgorithm
  public:
 
   /// Tools and services ///
-  ITHistSvc*    rootHistSvc;
-
+  ITHistSvc*    rootHistSvc = nullptr;
+ 
   egammaMonitoring::EffIDPlots  Eff_ID  ;
   egammaMonitoring::EffRecPlots Eff_Reco;