diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/common/controllers/NCConfig.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/common/controllers/NCConfig.java
index 049a55a..ce5043a 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/common/controllers/NCConfig.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/common/controllers/NCConfig.java
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
     public int messagingPublicPort = 0;
 
     @Option(name = "-ncservice-pid", usage = "PID of the NCService which launched this NCDriver", required = false)
-    public int ncservicePid = 0;
+    public int ncservicePid = -1;
 
     @Argument
     @Option(name = "--", handler = StopOptionHandler.class)