diff --git a/services/presence2/buddy.py b/services/presence2/buddy.py
index f9946b5d..458d1247 100644
--- a/services/presence2/buddy.py
+++ b/services/presence2/buddy.py
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ class Buddy(DBusGObject):
         self._valid = False
         self._owner = False
         self._key = None
+        self._icon = ''
 
         gobject.GObject.__init__(self, **kwargs)
         if not self._key: