diff --git a/src/fs_event_wrap.cc b/src/fs_event_wrap.cc
index 10af967def..cf9559df9d 100644
--- a/src/fs_event_wrap.cc
+++ b/src/fs_event_wrap.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class FSEventWrap: public HandleWrap {
   size_t self_size() const override { return sizeof(*this); }
 
  private:
+  static const encoding kDefaultEncoding = UTF8;
+
   FSEventWrap(Environment* env, Local<Object> object);
   ~FSEventWrap() override;
 
@@ -41,8 +43,8 @@ class FSEventWrap: public HandleWrap {
     int status);
 
   uv_fs_event_t handle_;
-  bool initialized_;
-  enum encoding encoding_;
+  bool initialized_ = false;
+  enum encoding encoding_ = kDefaultEncoding;
 };
 
 
@@ -50,9 +52,7 @@ FSEventWrap::FSEventWrap(Environment* env, Local<Object> object)
     : HandleWrap(env,
                  object,
                  reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&handle_),
-                 AsyncWrap::PROVIDER_FSEVENTWRAP) {
-  initialized_ = false;
-}
+                 AsyncWrap::PROVIDER_FSEVENTWRAP) {}
 
 
 FSEventWrap::~FSEventWrap() {
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void FSEventWrap::Start(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   if (args[2]->IsTrue())
     flags |= UV_FS_EVENT_RECURSIVE;
 
-  wrap->encoding_ = ParseEncoding(env->isolate(), args[3], UTF8);
+  wrap->encoding_ = ParseEncoding(env->isolate(), args[3], kDefaultEncoding);
 
   int err = uv_fs_event_init(wrap->env()->event_loop(), &wrap->handle_);
   if (err == 0) {