diff --git a/src/AsciiInputOutput.cc b/src/AsciiInputOutput.cc
index be15f44442..28736b9a77 100644
--- a/src/AsciiInputOutput.cc
+++ b/src/AsciiInputOutput.cc
@@ -12,21 +12,19 @@ AsciiInputOutput::AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread* t)
 	thread = t;
 	}
 
-AsciiInputOutput::AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread* t, const string & separator, const string & set_separator, 
+AsciiInputOutput::AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread* t, const string & set_separator, 
 				 const string & unset_field, const string & empty_field) 
 	{
 	thread = t;
-	this->separator = separator;
 	this->set_separator = set_separator;
 	this->unset_field = unset_field;
 	this->empty_field = empty_field;
 	}
 
-AsciiInputOutput::AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread* t, const string & separator, const string & set_separator, 
+AsciiInputOutput::AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread* t, const string & set_separator, 
 				 const string & unset_field) 
 	{
 	thread = t;
-	this->separator = separator;
 	this->set_separator = set_separator;
 	this->unset_field = unset_field;
 	}
diff --git a/src/AsciiInputOutput.h b/src/AsciiInputOutput.h
index ba05fb85de..16198eae54 100644
--- a/src/AsciiInputOutput.h
+++ b/src/AsciiInputOutput.h
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ class AsciiInputOutput {
 
 		// Constructor that defines all separators, etc.
 		// Use if you need either ValToODesc or EntryToVal.
-		AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread*, const string & separator, const string & set_separator, 
+		AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread*, const string & set_separator, 
 				 const string & unset_field, const string & empty_field);
 		
 		// Constructor that defines all separators, etc, besides empty_field, which is not needed for many
 		// non-ascii-based io sources.
 		// Use if you need either ValToODesc or EntryToVal.
-		AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread*, const string & separator, const string & set_separator, 
+		AsciiInputOutput(threading::MsgThread*, const string & set_separator, 
 				 const string & unset_field);
 		~AsciiInputOutput();
 
diff --git a/src/input/readers/Ascii.cc b/src/input/readers/Ascii.cc
index 0d45059a0f..e33844244a 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/Ascii.cc
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Ascii::Ascii(ReaderFrontend *frontend) : ReaderBackend(frontend)
 	unset_field.assign( (const char*) BifConst::InputAscii::unset_field->Bytes(),
 			    BifConst::InputAscii::unset_field->Len());
 
-	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, separator, set_separator, unset_field, empty_field);	
+	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, set_separator, unset_field, empty_field);	
 }
 
 Ascii::~Ascii()
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc b/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc
index c9ac42f774..1403effe49 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Ascii::Ascii(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(frontend)
 	desc.EnableEscaping();
 	desc.AddEscapeSequence(separator);
 
-	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, separator, set_separator, unset_field, empty_field);
+	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, set_separator, unset_field, empty_field);
 	}
 
 Ascii::~Ascii()