diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 6f68d57d..b208e0fe 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Revision history for Perl extension POE::Component::IRC.
     - Logger.pm: Add 'Format' argument for specifying a custom log format (Hinrik)
     - Logger.pm: Close log files after writing to them (Hinrik)
     - Logger.pm: Omit date from timestamp if sorting log files by date (Hinrik)
+    - NickReclaim.pm: Small fix for an edge case (Hinrik)
 
 5.56  Thu Jan 31 12:30:25 GMT 2008
     - AutoJoin.pm: Silence some warnings (Hinrik)
diff --git a/lib/POE/Component/IRC/Plugin/NickReclaim.pm b/lib/POE/Component/IRC/Plugin/NickReclaim.pm
index 9efecf30..34712eb3 100644
--- a/lib/POE/Component/IRC/Plugin/NickReclaim.pm
+++ b/lib/POE/Component/IRC/Plugin/NickReclaim.pm
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ sub new {
     
     # the $irc->nick_name() and offending nickname will be...
     #...the same on start, thus won't change
+    $args{_claims} = 0;
     $args{_did_start} = 0;
     
     return bless \%args, $package;