diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlError.C b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlError.C
index 4466d61806..375317e9db 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlError.C
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlError.C
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ void ControlError::initialiseParams(string const & data)
 
 void ControlError::clearParams()
 {
-	// g++ 2.95.3 doesn't like this although it should be ok
-	//params_.clear();
-	params_ = string();
+	params_.erase();
 }