diff --git a/src/factory.cpp b/src/factory.cpp
index 609abcf793..b50b64abd1 100644
--- a/src/factory.cpp
+++ b/src/factory.cpp
@@ -240,9 +240,8 @@ Inset * createInsetHelper(Buffer & buf, FuncRequest const & cmd)
 			}
 			
 			case ERT_CODE: {
-				InsetCollapsable::CollapseStatus st;
-				InsetERT::string2params(to_utf8(cmd.argument()), st);
-				return new InsetERT(buf, st);
+				return new InsetERT(buf,
+					InsetERT::string2params(to_utf8(cmd.argument())));
 			}
 				
 			case LISTINGS_CODE: {
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiERT.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiERT.cpp
index 175c4f4fc0..da1c0037d0 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiERT.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiERT.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ void GuiERT::updateContents()
 
 bool GuiERT::initialiseParams(string const & data)
 {
-	InsetERT::string2params(data, status_);
+	status_ = InsetERT::string2params(data);
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetERT.cpp b/src/insets/InsetERT.cpp
index e4f4d4188e..68147e20d5 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetERT.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetERT.cpp
@@ -114,9 +114,7 @@ void InsetERT::doDispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 		break;
 	}
 	case LFUN_INSET_MODIFY: {
-		InsetCollapsable::CollapseStatus st;
-		InsetERT::string2params(to_utf8(cmd.argument()), st);
-		setStatus(cur, st);
+		setStatus(cur, string2params(to_utf8(cmd.argument())));
 		break;
 	}
 	default:
@@ -192,11 +190,11 @@ bool InsetERT::showInsetDialog(BufferView * bv) const
 }
 
 
-void InsetERT::string2params(string const & in, CollapseStatus & status)
+InsetCollapsable::CollapseStatus InsetERT::string2params(string const & in)
 {
-	status = InsetCollapsable::Collapsed;
+	CollapseStatus status = Collapsed;
 	if (in.empty())
-		return;
+		return status;
 
 	istringstream data(in);
 	Lexer lex(0,0);
@@ -205,15 +203,15 @@ void InsetERT::string2params(string const & in, CollapseStatus & status)
 	string name;
 	lex >> name;
 	if (name != "ert") {
-		LYXERR0("InsetERT::string2params(" << in << ")\n"
-					  "Expected arg 1 to be \"ert\"\n");
-		return;
+		LYXERR0("Expected arg 1 to be \"ert\" in " << in);
+		return status;
 	}
 
 	int s;
 	lex >> s;
 	if (lex)
-		status = static_cast<InsetCollapsable::CollapseStatus>(s);
+		status = static_cast<CollapseStatus>(s);
+	return status;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetERT.h b/src/insets/InsetERT.h
index c8ab5e18a3..af60deb76f 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetERT.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetERT.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public:
 	///
 	~InsetERT();
 	///
-	static void string2params(std::string const &, CollapseStatus &);
+	static CollapseStatus string2params(std::string const &);
 	///
 	static std::string params2string(CollapseStatus);
 private: