diff --git a/lib/compress.js b/lib/compress.js
index f83a1ffd..55153f5e 100644
--- a/lib/compress.js
+++ b/lib/compress.js
@@ -3317,7 +3317,10 @@ merge(Compressor.prototype, {
     AST_Definitions.DEFMETHOD("remove_initializers", function(){
         var decls = [];
         this.definitions.forEach(function(def) {
-            def.name.walk(new TreeWalker(function(node) {
+            if (def.name instanceof AST_SymbolDeclaration) {
+                def.value = null;
+                decls.push(def);
+            } else def.name.walk(new TreeWalker(function(node) {
                 if (node instanceof AST_SymbolDeclaration) {
                     decls.push(make_node(AST_VarDef, def, {
                         name: node,