diff --git a/src/hb-dispatch.hh b/src/hb-dispatch.hh
index 7eace86e5..4b2b65a8d 100644
--- a/src/hb-dispatch.hh
+++ b/src/hb-dispatch.hh
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 template <typename Context, typename Return=hb_empty_t, unsigned int MaxDebugDepth=0>
 struct hb_dispatch_context_t
 {
-  hb_dispatch_context_t () : debug_depth (0) {}
   private:
   /* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiously_recurring_template_pattern */
   const Context* thiz () const { return static_cast<const Context *> (this); }
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ struct hb_dispatch_context_t
   { return obj.dispatch (thiz (), hb_forward<Ts> (ds)...); }
   static return_t no_dispatch_return_value () { return Context::default_return_value (); }
   static bool stop_sublookup_iteration (const return_t r HB_UNUSED) { return false; }
-  unsigned debug_depth;
+  unsigned debug_depth = 0;
 };