diff --git a/protocols/pcep/server/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/pcep/server/impl/PcepChannelHandler.java b/protocols/pcep/server/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/pcep/server/impl/PcepChannelHandler.java
index dce5fa0111..596a63341f 100644
--- a/protocols/pcep/server/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/pcep/server/impl/PcepChannelHandler.java
+++ b/protocols/pcep/server/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/pcep/server/impl/PcepChannelHandler.java
@@ -485,9 +485,8 @@ class PcepChannelHandler extends IdleStateAwareChannelHandler {
      * @throws PcepParseException while building pcep error message
      */
     public void processUnknownMsg() throws PcepParseException {
-        Date now = null;
+        Date now = new Date();
         if (pcepPacketStats.wrongPacketCount() == 0) {
-            now = new Date();
             pcepPacketStats.setTime(now.getTime());
             pcepPacketStats.addWrongPacket();
             sendErrMsgForInvalidMsg();