diff --git a/src/apps/terminal/AppearPrefView.cpp b/src/apps/terminal/AppearPrefView.cpp
index 17345a57a2..64eb813c5a 100644
--- a/src/apps/terminal/AppearPrefView.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/terminal/AppearPrefView.cpp
@@ -492,7 +492,9 @@ AppearancePrefView::_MakeMenu(uint32 msg, const char** items,
 		i++;
 	}
 
-	menu->FindItem(defaultItemName)->SetMarked(true);
+	BMenuItem* defaultItem = menu->FindItem(defaultItemName);
+	if (defaultItem)
+		defaultItem->SetMarked(true);
 
 	return menu;
 }
diff --git a/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.cpp b/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.cpp
index 0174b000d5..5658216bc6 100644
--- a/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.cpp
@@ -98,9 +98,20 @@ BasicTerminalBuffer::_CursorChanged()
 
 BasicTerminalBuffer::BasicTerminalBuffer()
 	:
+	fWidth(0),
+	fHeight(0),
+	fScrollTop(0),
+	fScrollBottom(0),
 	fScreen(NULL),
+	fScreenOffset(0),
 	fHistory(NULL),
-	fTabStops(NULL)
+	fSoftWrappedCursor(false),
+	fOverwriteMode(false),
+	fAlternateScreenActive(false),
+	fOriginMode(false),
+	fSavedOriginMode(false),
+	fTabStops(NULL),
+	fEncoding(M_UTF8)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.h b/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.h
index 951ce15dc5..6caef3c3be 100644
--- a/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.h
+++ b/src/apps/terminal/BasicTerminalBuffer.h
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ struct TerminalBufferDirtyInfo {
 		invalidateAll = false;
 		messageSent = false;
 	}
+
+	TerminalBufferDirtyInfo()
+	{
+		Reset();
+	}
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/apps/terminal/TermParse.cpp b/src/apps/terminal/TermParse.cpp
index 4ee9153096..856e12dcd0 100644
--- a/src/apps/terminal/TermParse.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/terminal/TermParse.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ TermParse::TermParse(int fd)
 	fBuffer(NULL),
 	fQuitting(true)
 {
+	memset(fReadBuffer, 0, READ_BUF_SIZE);
+	memset(fParserBuffer, 0, ESC_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/apps/terminal/TermView.cpp b/src/apps/terminal/TermView.cpp
index e5aa246c59..1012160007 100644
--- a/src/apps/terminal/TermView.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/terminal/TermView.cpp
@@ -1858,8 +1858,8 @@ TermView::MessageReceived(BMessage *msg)
 			int32 i;
 			int32 encodingID;
 			BMessage specifier;
-			msg->GetCurrentSpecifier(&i, &specifier);
-			if (!strcmp("encoding", specifier.FindString("property", i))){
+			if (msg->GetCurrentSpecifier(&i, &specifier) == B_OK
+				&& !strcmp("encoding", specifier.FindString("property", i))) {
 				msg->FindInt32 ("data", &encodingID);
 				SetEncoding(encodingID);
 				msg->SendReply(B_REPLY);
@@ -1873,8 +1873,8 @@ TermView::MessageReceived(BMessage *msg)
 		{
 			int32 i;
 			BMessage specifier;
-			msg->GetCurrentSpecifier(&i, &specifier);
-			if (!strcmp("encoding", specifier.FindString("property", i))){
+			if (msg->GetCurrentSpecifier(&i, &specifier) == B_OK
+				&& !strcmp("encoding", specifier.FindString("property", i))) {
 				BMessage reply(B_REPLY);
 				reply.AddInt32("result", Encoding());
 				msg->SendReply(&reply);