diff --git a/GUI/Model/Sample/RoughnessItems.cpp b/GUI/Model/Sample/RoughnessItems.cpp
index c9a99f83fafa3223dbe9ebc829ce6eb1ef6516d0..f7300149459e7840347f6096c677e9ec5807d9c9 100644
--- a/GUI/Model/Sample/RoughnessItems.cpp
+++ b/GUI/Model/Sample/RoughnessItems.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const QString LateralCorrelationLength("LateralCorrelationLength");
 
 BasicRoughnessItem::BasicRoughnessItem()
 {
-    m_sigma.init("Sigma (nm)", "rms of the roughness", 1.0, "sigma");
+    m_sigma.init("Sigma (nm)", "rms of the roughness", 0.0, "sigma");
     m_hurst.init("Hurst",
                  "Hurst parameter which describes how jagged the interface,\n "
                  "dimensionless [0.0, 1.0], where 0.0 gives more spikes, \n1.0 more smoothness.",