diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 4a4725818..8843e34a9 100755
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ phpMyAdmin - ChangeLog
 $Id$
 $Source$
 
+2006-08-26 Marc Delisle  <lem9@users.sourceforge.net>
+    * db_operations.php: bug #1544799, undefined variable on db copy
+
 2006-08-24 Michal Čihař  <michal@cihar.com>
     * Documentation.html, libraries/config.default.php,
       libraries/auth/signon.auth.lib.php, scripts/signon.php,
diff --git a/db_operations.php b/db_operations.php
index 533c30cd7..510ba6368 100644
--- a/db_operations.php
+++ b/db_operations.php
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ if (isset($db) &&
     if (!isset($newname) || !strlen($newname)) {
         $message = $strDatabaseEmpty;
     } else {
+        $sql_query = ''; // in case target db exists
         if ($move ||
            (isset($create_database_before_copying) && $create_database_before_copying)) {
             $local_query = 'CREATE DATABASE ' . PMA_backquote($newname);