diff --git a/src/server/distrenjob.c b/src/server/distrenjob.c
--- a/src/server/distrenjob.c
+++ b/src/server/distrenjob.c
@@ -54,19 +54,25 @@ int distrenjob_new(struct distrenjob **d
   *distrenjob = dj;
 
   dj->next = NULL;
+  dj->jobnum = 0; /*< @todo there should be a central jobnum allocator and a way to save the maximum jobnumber allocated */
+  dj->type = 1;
   dj->name = (char *)NULL;
   dj->submitter = (char *)NULL;
-  dj->jobnum = 0; /*< @todo there should be a central jobnum allocator and a way to save the maximum jobnumber allocated */
-  dj->priority = 0;
+
+  df->output_format = (char *)NULL;
   dj->width = 0;
   dj->height = 0;
+
+  dj->priority = 0;
   dj->completed_frames = 0;
   dj->assigned_frames = 0;
+  dj->total_frames = 0;
+  dj->prev_frame_index = -1;
+
   dj->total_render_time = 0;
-  dj->hibernate = 0;
-  dj->prev_frame_index = -1;
   dj->assigned_render_power = 0;
   dj->watchdog_forgiveness = 3600; // initialize watchdog forgiveness at 1 hour
+  dj->hibernate = 0;
   dj->frameset = (struct frameset *)NULL; /*< @todo does frameset need to be initialized here? */
 
   return 0;
@@ -280,6 +286,8 @@ int distrenjob_serialize(struct distrenj
   _distren_asprintf(&tmp, "%d", job->priority);
   xmlTextWriterWriteAttribute(writer, (xmlChar*)"priority", (xmlChar*)tmp);
   free(tmp);
+  xmlTextWriterWriteAttribute(writer, (xmlChar *)"output_format", (xmlChar *)job->output_format);
+  
 
   /**
      write resolution element and add its attributes */