diff --git a/libqpdf/QPDF_linearization.cc b/libqpdf/QPDF_linearization.cc
index a63f050..6929a8b 100644
--- a/libqpdf/QPDF_linearization.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/QPDF_linearization.cc
@@ -1104,10 +1104,6 @@ QPDF::calculateLinearizationData(T const& object_stream_data)
             case ObjUser::ou_root:
                 is_root = true;
                 break;
-
-            case ObjUser::ou_bad:
-                stopOnError("INTERNAL ERROR: QPDF::calculateLinearizationData: invalid user type");
-                break;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDF_private.hh b/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDF_private.hh
index 0750623..70224c4 100644
--- a/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDF_private.hh
+++ b/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDF_private.hh
@@ -415,9 +415,9 @@ struct QPDF::CHSharedObject
 class QPDF::ObjUser
 {
   public:
-    enum user_e { ou_bad, ou_page, ou_thumb, ou_trailer_key, ou_root_key, ou_root };
+    enum user_e {ou_page = 1, ou_thumb, ou_trailer_key, ou_root_key, ou_root };
 
-    ObjUser() = default;
+    ObjUser() = delete;
 
     // type must be ou_root
     ObjUser(user_e type);
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ class QPDF::ObjUser
 
     bool operator<(ObjUser const&) const;
 
-    user_e ou_type{ou_bad};
+    user_e ou_type;
     int pageno{0};   // if ou_page;
     std::string key; // if ou_trailer_key or ou_root_key
 };