diff --git a/pd/src/s_file.c b/pd/src/s_file.c
index f6c00e169dbd649707c22a3821feee5631a498de..02100c6214852e89159001d30e6aa8c079e591f1 100644
--- a/pd/src/s_file.c
+++ b/pd/src/s_file.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #endif
 
 int sys_defeatrt, sys_autopatch_yoffset, sys_snaptogrid = 1, sys_gridsize = 10,
-    sys_zoom, sys_autocomplete, sys_autocomplete_prefix,
+    sys_zoom, sys_autocomplete = 1, sys_autocomplete_prefix,
     sys_browser_doc = 1, sys_browser_path, sys_browser_init;
 t_symbol *sys_flags = &s_;
 void sys_doflags( void);