diff --git a/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/BinaryXMLName.c b/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/BinaryXMLName.c
index b790022..f75c1ea 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/BinaryXMLName.c
+++ b/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/BinaryXMLName.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
   if (error = ndn_BinaryXMLDecoder_readElementStartDTag(decoder, ndn_BinaryXML_DTag_Name))
     return error;
     
+  name->nComponents = 0;
   while (1) {
     int gotExpectedTag;
     if (error = ndn_BinaryXMLDecoder_peekDTag(decoder, ndn_BinaryXML_DTag_Component, &gotExpectedTag))