diff --git a/java/org/slub/rosetta/dps/repository/plugin/XmlFormatValidationPlugin.java b/java/org/slub/rosetta/dps/repository/plugin/XmlFormatValidationPlugin.java
index c7031830f339808129916e0a60e57ab11b23221f..6c15da5119b3c96f16ccbec106ab7f28455521d7 100644
--- a/java/org/slub/rosetta/dps/repository/plugin/XmlFormatValidationPlugin.java
+++ b/java/org/slub/rosetta/dps/repository/plugin/XmlFormatValidationPlugin.java
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ public class XmlFormatValidationPlugin implements FormatValidationPlugin {
 
         // parse command line
         CommandLineParser parser = new DefaultParser();
-        CommandLine line = null;
+        CommandLine line;
         Map<String, String> initp = new HashMap<>();
         try {
             line = parser.parse(options, args);