diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-site-query.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-site-query.php
index d963c5edb4..3d2f4f173b 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-site-query.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-site-query.php
@@ -570,7 +570,8 @@ class WP_Site_Query {
 			$this->sql_clauses['where']['date_query'] = preg_replace( '/^\s*AND\s*/', '', $this->date_query->get_sql() );
 		}
 
-		$join = '';
+		$join    = '';
+		$groupby = '';
 
 		if ( ! empty( $this->meta_query_clauses ) ) {
 			$join .= $this->meta_query_clauses['join'];
@@ -585,8 +586,6 @@ class WP_Site_Query {
 
 		$where = implode( ' AND ', $this->sql_clauses['where'] );
 
-		$groupby = '';
-
 		$pieces = array( 'fields', 'join', 'where', 'orderby', 'limits', 'groupby' );
 
 		/**