diff --git a/drivers/iio/temperature/ltc2983.c b/drivers/iio/temperature/ltc2983.c
index 38e6f8dfd3b8..1f835e326b93 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/temperature/ltc2983.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/temperature/ltc2983.c
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ ltc2983_rtd_new(const struct fwnode_handle *child, struct ltc2983_data *st,
 	struct ltc2983_rtd *rtd;
 	int ret = 0;
 	struct device *dev = &st->spi->dev;
-	u32 excitation_current = 0, n_wires = 0;
+	u32 excitation_current = 0, n_wires = 2;
 
 	rtd = devm_kzalloc(dev, sizeof(*rtd), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!rtd)