diff --git a/PhysicsTools/NanoAOD/plugins/TriggerOutputBranches.cc b/PhysicsTools/NanoAOD/plugins/TriggerOutputBranches.cc
index 5299a2cc05095..2caa1b40a8552 100644
--- a/PhysicsTools/NanoAOD/plugins/TriggerOutputBranches.cc
+++ b/PhysicsTools/NanoAOD/plugins/TriggerOutputBranches.cc
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ TriggerOutputBranches::updateTriggerNames(TTree & tree, const edm::TriggerNames
            for(auto & existing : m_triggerBranches) {if(name==existing.name) found=true;}
            if(!found){
                 NamedBranchPtr nb(name,"Trigger/flag bit"); //FIXME: If the title can be updated we can use it to list the versions _v* that were seen in this file
-                uint8_t backFillValue=-1;
+                uint8_t backFillValue=0;
                 nb.branch= tree.Branch(nb.name.c_str(), &backFillValue, (name + "/O").c_str()); 
                 nb.branch->SetTitle(nb.title.c_str());
                 nb.idx=j;