diff --git a/changes/ticket28881 b/changes/ticket28881
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b015a6c37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ticket28881
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Code simplification and refactoring:
+    -  When parsing a port configuration, make it more
+       obvious to static analyzer tools that we will always initialize the
+       address. Closes ticket 28881.
diff --git a/src/app/config/config.c b/src/app/config/config.c
index 81cc3e378f..4a8f94da0e 100644
--- a/src/app/config/config.c
+++ b/src/app/config/config.c
@@ -6913,6 +6913,8 @@ parse_port_config(smartlist_t *out,
 
   for (; ports; ports = ports->next) {
     tor_addr_t addr;
+    tor_addr_make_unspec(&addr);
+
     int port;
     int sessiongroup = SESSION_GROUP_UNSET;
     unsigned isolation = ISO_DEFAULT;