diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 3d660159a1a..5c297eb1e33 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 	* window.c (inhibit_window_configuration_change_hook): New var.
 	(run_window_configuration_change_hook): Obey it.
+	(syms_of_window): Initialize it.
 
 2012-02-22  Chong Yidong  <cyd@gnu.org>
 
diff --git a/src/window.c b/src/window.c
index 397d84a8b05..be40e53f6b9 100644
--- a/src/window.c
+++ b/src/window.c
@@ -6527,6 +6527,8 @@ syms_of_window (void)
   window_scroll_preserve_hpos = -1;
   window_scroll_preserve_vpos = -1;
 
+  inhibit_window_configuration_change_hook = Qnil;
+
   DEFVAR_LISP ("temp-buffer-show-function", Vtemp_buffer_show_function,
 	       doc: /* Non-nil means call as function to display a help buffer.
 The function is called with one argument, the buffer to be displayed.