diff --git a/include/sdbusplus/async/client.hpp b/include/sdbusplus/async/client.hpp
index 5290894..ce9fc24 100644
--- a/include/sdbusplus/async/client.hpp
+++ b/include/sdbusplus/async/client.hpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     public Types<sdbusplus::async::proxy_ns::proxy<S, P, false, Preserved>>...
 {
   private:
-    sdbusplus::async::context& ctx{};
+    sdbusplus::async::context& ctx;
     sdbusplus::async::proxy_ns::proxy<S, P, false, Preserved> proxy{};
 
   public:
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.client.hpp.mako b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.client.hpp.mako
index b6c3777..ae49f10 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.client.hpp.mako
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.client.hpp.mako
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
         ctx(ctx), proxy(p.interface(interface))
     {}
 
-    sdbusplus::async::context& ctx{};
+    sdbusplus::async::context& ctx;
     decltype(std::declval<Proxy>().interface(interface)) proxy = {};
 };