diff --git a/src/colvar/ERMSD.cpp b/src/colvar/ERMSD.cpp
index 200686cd0fb7ca9d28249bbd940ac2ee10c188cf..bff5b474f4fd20ebb2787e00c072a162d41ffd9f 100644
--- a/src/colvar/ERMSD.cpp
+++ b/src/colvar/ERMSD.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ PLUMED_COLVAR_INIT(ao), pbc(true)
   // store target_ distance
   vector <Vector> reference_positions;
   unsigned natoms = atoms_.size();
-  log.printf("Read %d atoms\n",natoms);
+  log.printf("Read %u atoms\n",natoms);
 
   reference_positions.resize(natoms);
   for(unsigned i=0;i<natoms;i++){
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ PLUMED_COLVAR_INIT(ao), pbc(true)
   derivs.resize(natoms);
 
   log.printf("  reference from file %s\n",reference.c_str());
-  log.printf("  which contains %d atoms\n",natoms);
+  log.printf("  which contains %u atoms\n",natoms);
   
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tools/ERMSD.h b/src/tools/ERMSD.h
index 5ba98f844d57fb538e95495dbe89c301a5928ee3..8c49fcf57768423943a0081f4d41b7725b7c3d07 100644
--- a/src/tools/ERMSD.h
+++ b/src/tools/ERMSD.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class ERMSD {
 
   public:
 /// Constructor
-     ERMSD(): natoms(0),nresidues(0) {}
+     ERMSD(): natoms(0),nresidues(0), cutoff(0.0) {}
 
 /// clear the structure
      void clear();