diff --git a/gcc/cobol/parse.y b/gcc/cobol/parse.y
index b1c97f4d0e47db0c802a6048b4d08f38440b9edb..8631cf6026a939b856a278185ffbd9c0827d2a0d 100644
--- a/gcc/cobol/parse.y
+++ b/gcc/cobol/parse.y
@@ -8824,7 +8824,11 @@ intrinsic:      intrinsic0
 	|	intrinsic_locale
                 ;
 
-numval_locale:	%empty       { $$.is_locale = false; $$.arg2 = NULL; }
+numval_locale:	%empty {
+		  static cbl_refer_t empty;
+		  $$.is_locale = false;
+		  $$.arg2 = ∅
+		}
 	|	LOCALE NAME  { $$.is_locale = true;  $$.arg2 = NULL;
 		  yyerror("unimplemented: NUMVAL_C LOCALE"); YYERROR;
 		}