diff --git a/libgfortran/io/unit.c b/libgfortran/io/unit.c
index 82664dc5f98be64c3685b81cf273cf36962005f0..36d025949c21b680406566813e7d58159ec4280f 100644
--- a/libgfortran/io/unit.c
+++ b/libgfortran/io/unit.c
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ set_internal_unit (st_parameter_dt *dtp, gfc_unit *iunit, int kind)
   iunit->current_record=0;
   iunit->read_bad = 0;
   iunit->endfile = NO_ENDFILE;
+  iunit->last_char = 0;
 
   /* Set flags for the internal unit.  */