diff --git a/src/TocBackend.cpp b/src/TocBackend.cpp
index db72abdff3..03f3a7433f 100644
--- a/src/TocBackend.cpp
+++ b/src/TocBackend.cpp
@@ -26,12 +26,9 @@
 
 #include "support/convert.h"
 
-
-namespace lyx {
-
-using std::vector;
 using std::string;
 
+namespace lyx {
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // TocItem implementation
@@ -40,38 +37,6 @@ TocItem::TocItem(ParConstIterator const & par_it, int d,
 		docstring const & s)
 		: par_it_(par_it), depth_(d), str_(s)
 {
-/*
-	if (!uid_.empty())
-		return;
-
-	size_t pos = s.find(" ");
-	if (pos == string::npos) {
-		// Non labelled item
-		uid_ = s;
-		return;
-	}
-
-	string s2 = s.substr(0, pos);
-
-	if (s2 == "Chapter" || s2 == "Part") {
-		size_t pos2 = s.find(" ", pos + 1);
-		if (pos2 == string::npos) {
-			// Unnumbered Chapter?? This should not happen.
-			uid_ = s.substr(pos + 1);
-			return;
-		}
-		// Chapter or Part
-		uid_ = s.substr(pos2 + 1);
-		return;
-	}
-	// Numbered Item.
-	uid_ = s.substr(pos + 1);
-	*/
-}
-
-bool const TocItem::isValid() const
-{
-	return depth_ != -1;
 }
 
 
@@ -105,9 +70,6 @@ FuncRequest TocItem::action() const
 }
 
 
-
-
-
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // TocBackend implementation
 
@@ -123,10 +85,13 @@ Toc const & TocBackend::toc(std::string const & type) const
 
 void TocBackend::updateItem(ParConstIterator const & par_it)
 {
-	// TODO should not happen,
-	// a call to TocBackend::update() is missing somewhere
-	if (toc("tableofcontents").empty())
+	if (toc("tableofcontents").empty()) {
+		// FIXME: should not happen, 
+		// a call to TocBackend::update() is missing somewhere
+		lyxerr << "TocBackend::updateItem called but the TOC is empty!"
+			<< std::endl;
 		return;
+	}
 
 	BufferParams const & bufparams = buffer_->params();
 	const int min_toclevel = bufparams.getTextClass().min_toclevel();
diff --git a/src/TocBackend.h b/src/TocBackend.h
index 75f0ea4ffd..25b39c9538 100644
--- a/src/TocBackend.h
+++ b/src/TocBackend.h
@@ -38,16 +38,16 @@ class TocItem
 	friend class TocBackend;
 
 public:
+	/// Default constructor for STL containers.
+	TocItem() {}
 	///
-	TocItem(ParConstIterator const & par_it = ParConstIterator(),
-		int d = -1,
-		docstring const & s = docstring()
+	TocItem(ParConstIterator const & par_it,
+		int depth,
+		docstring const & s
 		);
 	///
 	~TocItem() {}
 	///
-	bool const isValid() const;
-	///
 	int const id() const;
 	///
 	int const depth() const;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/TocModel.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/TocModel.cpp
index 08f1d12419..0e88f91a70 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/TocModel.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/TocModel.cpp
@@ -91,30 +91,26 @@ void TocModel::populate(Toc const & toc)
 	mindepth_ = INT_MAX;
 
 	while (iter != end) {
+		maxdepth_ = max(maxdepth_, iter->depth());
+		mindepth_ = min(mindepth_, iter->depth());
+		current_row = rowCount();
+		insertRows(current_row, 1);
+		top_level_item = QStandardItemModel::index(current_row, 0);
+		//setData(top_level_item, toqstr(iter->str()));
+		setData(top_level_item, toqstr(iter->str()), Qt::DisplayRole);
 
-		if (iter->isValid()) {
+		// This looks like a gcc bug, in principle this should work:
+		//toc_map_[top_level_item] = iter;
+		// but it crashes with gcc-4.1 and 4.0.2
+		toc_map_.insert( TocPair(top_level_item, iter) );
+		model_map_[iter] = top_level_item;
 
-			maxdepth_ = max(maxdepth_, iter->depth());
-			mindepth_ = min(mindepth_, iter->depth());
-			current_row = rowCount();
-			insertRows(current_row, 1);
-			top_level_item = QStandardItemModel::index(current_row, 0);
-			//setData(top_level_item, toqstr(iter->str()));
-			setData(top_level_item, toqstr(iter->str()), Qt::DisplayRole);
+		LYXERR(Debug::GUI)
+			<< "Toc: at depth " << iter->depth()
+			<< ", added item " << to_utf8(iter->str())
+			<< endl;
 
-			// This looks like a gcc bug, in principle this should work:
-			//toc_map_[top_level_item] = iter;
-			// but it crashes with gcc-4.1 and 4.0.2
-			toc_map_.insert( TocPair(top_level_item, iter) );
-			model_map_[iter] = top_level_item;
-
-			LYXERR(Debug::GUI)
-				<< "Toc: at depth " << iter->depth()
-				<< ", added item " << to_utf8(iter->str())
-				<< endl;
-
-			populate(iter, end, top_level_item);
-		}
+		populate(iter, end, top_level_item);
 
 		if (iter == end)
 			break;