diff --git a/wled00/FX.h b/wled00/FX.h
index 50bcd6624..49277ba11 100644
--- a/wled00/FX.h
+++ b/wled00/FX.h
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ typedef struct Segment {
     };
     uint8_t startY;  // start Y coodrinate 2D (top); there should be no more than 255 rows
     uint8_t stopY;   // stop Y coordinate 2D (bottom); there should be no more than 255 rows
+    //note: here are 3 free bytes of padding
     char    *name;
 
     // runtime data
diff --git a/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp b/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
index 7159d21c7..e78608a14 100644
--- a/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
+++ b/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR_YN Segment::setPixelColor(int i, uint32_t col)
 {
   if (!isActive()) return; // not active
 #ifndef WLED_DISABLE_2D
-  int vStrip;
+  int vStrip = 0;
 #endif
   if (i >= virtualLength() || i<0) // pixel would fall out of segment, check if this is a virtual strip NOTE: this is almost always false if not virtual strip, saves the calculation on 'standard' call
   {