diff --git a/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.cxx b/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.cxx
index 8a3d6a70..2b29d22d 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.cxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.cxx
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public:
 SGSubsystemGroup::SGSubsystemGroup () :
   _fixedUpdateTime(-1.0),
   _updateTimeRemainder(0.0),
-  _initPosition(-1)
+  _initPosition(0)
 {
 }
 
@@ -173,9 +173,6 @@ SGSubsystemGroup::init ()
 SGSubsystem::InitStatus
 SGSubsystemGroup::incrementalInit()
 {
-  if (_initPosition < 0)
-    _initPosition = 0;
-  
   if (_initPosition >= _members.size())
     return INIT_DONE;
   
@@ -210,7 +207,7 @@ SGSubsystemGroup::shutdown ()
     // reverse order to prevent order dependency problems
     for (unsigned int i = _members.size(); i > 0; i--)
         _members[i-1]->subsystem->shutdown();
-  _initPosition = -1;
+  _initPosition = 0;
 }
 
 void
@@ -412,7 +409,7 @@ SGSubsystemGroup::Member::update (double delta_time_sec)
 
 
 SGSubsystemMgr::SGSubsystemMgr () :
-  _initPosition(-1)
+  _initPosition(0)
 {
   for (int i = 0; i < MAX_GROUPS; i++) {
     _groups[i] = new SGSubsystemGroup;
@@ -440,9 +437,6 @@ SGSubsystemMgr::init ()
 SGSubsystem::InitStatus
 SGSubsystemMgr::incrementalInit()
 {
-  if (_initPosition < 0)
-    _initPosition = 0;
-  
   if (_initPosition >= MAX_GROUPS)
     return INIT_DONE;
   
@@ -474,7 +468,7 @@ SGSubsystemMgr::shutdown ()
     for (int i = MAX_GROUPS-1; i >= 0; i--)
         _groups[i]->shutdown();
   
-    _initPosition = -1;
+    _initPosition = 0;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.hxx b/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.hxx
index 18684919..37cd8aad 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.hxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.hxx
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ private:
     double _updateTimeRemainder;
     
   /// index of the member we are currently init-ing
-    int _initPosition;
+    unsigned int _initPosition;
 };
 
 
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
     SGSubsystemGroup* _groups[MAX_GROUPS];
-    int _initPosition;
+    unsigned int _initPosition;
   
     typedef std::map<std::string, SGSubsystem*> SubsystemDict;
     SubsystemDict _subsystem_map;