diff --git a/MeshLib/Elements/Cell.cpp b/MeshLib/Elements/Cell.cpp
index f2962079dd503a7904108e690ff347c23ebd5dca..fb0caee8d946696270e1e50aa5c65b2f92b7c6dc 100644
--- a/MeshLib/Elements/Cell.cpp
+++ b/MeshLib/Elements/Cell.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Cell::Cell(Node** nodes, MshElemType::type type, unsigned value)
 }
 */
 Cell::Cell(unsigned value)
-	: Element(value)
+	: Element(value), _volume(-1.0) // init with invalid value to detect errors
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/MeshLib/Elements/Face.cpp b/MeshLib/Elements/Face.cpp
index b059500f4864101036ef5f662bee9bd523435542..478c97959df8c3248ddc51a81423ea97fcfde3f5 100644
--- a/MeshLib/Elements/Face.cpp
+++ b/MeshLib/Elements/Face.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Face::Face(Node** nodes, MshElemType::type type, unsigned value)
 }
 */
 Face::Face(unsigned value)
-	: Element(value)
+	: Element(value), _area(-1.0) // init with invalid value to detect errors
 {
 }