diff --git a/src/util/virbitmap.c b/src/util/virbitmap.c
index 32767631334495eec40812f7614c486056ca861d..2029a735f7d67c9bd6ec2127f9ff62da80984812 100644
--- a/src/util/virbitmap.c
+++ b/src/util/virbitmap.c
@@ -952,7 +952,11 @@ virBitmapLastSetBit(virBitmapPtr bitmap)
     ssize_t i;
     int unusedBits;
     ssize_t sz;
-    unsigned long bits = 0;
+    unsigned long bits;
+
+    /* If bitmap is empty then there is no set bit */
+    if (bitmap->map_len == 0)
+        return -1;
 
     unusedBits = bitmap->map_len * VIR_BITMAP_BITS_PER_UNIT - bitmap->max_bit;
 
@@ -971,8 +975,8 @@ virBitmapLastSetBit(virBitmapPtr bitmap)
             goto found;
     }
 
-    if (bits == 0)
-        return -1;
+    /* Only reached if no set bit was found */
+    return -1;
 
  found:
     for (i = VIR_BITMAP_BITS_PER_UNIT - 1; i >= 0; i--) {