diff --git a/tag-dropdown-widget.php b/tag-dropdown-widget.php
index 5e8cd1dc9eec1080a3a94951f530a70e20734fee..ac2d802b2f9fe02322be93dbf4f63b3e2a839a67 100644
--- a/tag-dropdown-widget.php
+++ b/tag-dropdown-widget.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class taxonomy_dropdown_widget_plugin {
 	/**
 	 * Class variables
 	 */
-	var $option_defaults = array(
+	protected $option_defaults = array(
 		'taxonomy' => 'post_tag',
 		'select_name' => 'Select Tag',
 		'max_name_length' => 0,