diff --git a/src/devices/machine/i2cmem.cpp b/src/devices/machine/i2cmem.cpp
index a951f325110..c7ba56e7a93 100644
--- a/src/devices/machine/i2cmem.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/machine/i2cmem.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ i2cmem_device::i2cmem_device(
 	m_wc(0),
 	m_sdar(1),
 	m_state(STATE_IDLE),
+	m_bits(0),
 	m_shift(0),
 	m_devsel(0),
 	m_addresshigh(0),
@@ -332,7 +333,7 @@ WRITE_LINE_MEMBER( i2cmem_device::write_sda )
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				verboselog( this, 2, "start\n" );
+				verboselog( this, 1, "start\n" );
 				m_state = STATE_DEVSEL;
 				m_bits = 0;
 			}