diff --git a/libavcodec/vc1.c b/libavcodec/vc1.c
index 6135ebdc09..68e0d0d306 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vc1.c
+++ b/libavcodec/vc1.c
@@ -822,6 +822,7 @@ int vc1_parse_frame_header_adv(VC1Context *v, GetBitContext* gb)
     int mbmodetab, imvtab, icbptab, twomvbptab, fourmvbptab; /* useful only for debugging */
     int scale, shift, i; /* for initializing LUT for intensity compensation */
 
+    v->numref          = 0;
     v->p_frame_skipped = 0;
     if (v->second_field) {
         v->s.pict_type = (v->fptype & 1) ? AV_PICTURE_TYPE_P : AV_PICTURE_TYPE_I;