diff --git a/daemon/redis.c b/daemon/redis.c
index dcebbef41..f17cbf1c3 100644
--- a/daemon/redis.c
+++ b/daemon/redis.c
@@ -2031,7 +2031,7 @@ static void json_restore_call(struct redis *r, const str *callid, bool foreign)
 	if (!rr_jsonStr)
 		goto err1;
 
-	parser_arg root = {.json = json_root};
+	parser_arg root = {0};
 
 	if (rr_jsonStr->str[0] == '{') {
 		parser = json_parser_new();
@@ -2058,6 +2058,10 @@ static void json_restore_call(struct redis *r, const str *callid, bool foreign)
 		redis_parser = &ng_parser_native;
 		root.benc = benc_root;
 	}
+	else {
+		err = "Unrecognised serial format";
+		goto err1;
+	}
 
 	c = call_get_or_create(callid, false);
 	err = "failed to create call struct";