Index: /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/SelectionListDialog.java
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/SelectionListDialog.java	(revision 5805)
+++ /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/SelectionListDialog.java	(revision 5806)
@@ -565,5 +565,5 @@
             fireContentsChanged(this, 0, getSize());
             remember(selection);
-            double dist = 0.0;
+            double dist = -1;
             SubclassFilteredCollection<OsmPrimitive, Way> ways = new SubclassFilteredCollection<OsmPrimitive, Way>(selection, OsmPrimitive.wayPredicate);
             // Compute total length of selected way(s) until an arbitrary limit set to 250 ways
@@ -571,4 +571,5 @@
             int maxWays = Math.max(1, Main.pref.getInteger("selection.max-ways-for-statusline", 250));
             if (!ways.isEmpty() && ways.size() <= maxWays) {
+                dist = 0.0;
                 for (Way w : ways) {
                     dist += w.getLength();