diff --git a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c
index a3555bebad63..b59f0aa43c4b 100644
--- a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c
+++ b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c
@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@ static struct fanotify_event *fanotify_alloc_perm_event(const void *data,
 	pevent->hdr.pad = 0;
 	pevent->hdr.len = 0;
 	pevent->state = FAN_EVENT_INIT;
+	pevent->watchdog_cnt = 0;
 	pevent->path = *path;
 	/* NULL ppos means no range info */
 	pevent->ppos = range ? &range->pos : NULL;