diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gaul/modernizer_maven_plugin/ModernizerMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/gaul/modernizer_maven_plugin/ModernizerMojo.java
index 091f6d7..dcf9df6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gaul/modernizer_maven_plugin/ModernizerMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gaul/modernizer_maven_plugin/ModernizerMojo.java
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ public final class ModernizerMojo extends AbstractMojo {
     private String exclusionsFile;
 
     @Parameter
-    private Set<String> ignorePackages;
+    private Set<String> ignorePackages = new HashSet<String>();
 
     private Modernizer modernizer;