diff --git a/code/3DSExporter.cpp b/code/3DSExporter.cpp
index 8ad367058..1b870181c 100644
--- a/code/3DSExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/3DSExporter.cpp
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ void Discreet3DSExporter::WriteMaterials()
 			WriteColor(color);
 		}
 
-		aiShadingMode shading_mode;
+		aiShadingMode shading_mode = aiShadingMode_Flat;
 		if (mat.Get(AI_MATKEY_SHADING_MODEL, shading_mode) == AI_SUCCESS) {
 			ChunkWriter chunk(writer, Discreet3DS::CHUNK_MAT_SHADING);
 
diff --git a/code/ColladaExporter.cpp b/code/ColladaExporter.cpp
index d2e85a015..db76e38a9 100644
--- a/code/ColladaExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/ColladaExporter.cpp
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ void ColladaExporter::WriteMaterials()
 	  }
 	}
 
-	aiShadingMode shading;
+	aiShadingMode shading = aiShadingMode_Flat;
 	materials[a].shading_model = "phong";
 	if(mat->Get( AI_MATKEY_SHADING_MODEL, shading) == aiReturn_SUCCESS) {
 		if(shading == aiShadingMode_Phong) {