diff --git a/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C b/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C
index 09e7fb5e7..1ec3e5417 100644
--- a/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C
+++ b/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ Foam::Pstream::nProcsSimpleSum
 );
 
 
-const Foam::debug::optimisationSwitch
+Foam::debug::optimisationSwitch
 Foam::Pstream::defaultCommsType
 (
     "commsType",
diff --git a/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H b/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H
index df024bf6e..eaf81827c 100644
--- a/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H
+++ b/src/foam/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ public:
         static const debug::optimisationSwitch nProcsSimpleSum;
 
         //- Default commsType
-        static const debug::optimisationSwitch defaultCommsType;
+        static debug::optimisationSwitch defaultCommsType;
 
         //- Default comms with a cast
         inline static Pstream::commsTypes defaultComms()