diff --git a/include/boost/graph/depth_first_search.hpp b/include/boost/graph/depth_first_search.hpp
index b5eda532..d91dddbe 100644
--- a/include/boost/graph/depth_first_search.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/graph/depth_first_search.hpp
@@ -138,11 +138,12 @@ namespace boost {
 	    detail::error_property_not_found)
       {
 	std::vector<default_color_type> color_vec(num_vertices(g));
+	default_color_type c;
 	dfs_impl(g, vis,
 		 make_iterator_property_map
-		 (color_vec.begin(), 
-		  choose_const_pmap(get_param(params, vertex_index), 
-				    g, vertex_index), color_vec[0]) );
+		 (color_vec.begin(),
+		  choose_const_pmap(get_param(params, vertex_index),
+				    g, vertex_index), c) );
       }
     };