diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/audio_clock.cc b/gtk2_ardour/audio_clock.cc
index 6a54e5bdd1..75d2f4f890 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/audio_clock.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/audio_clock.cc
@@ -941,8 +941,8 @@ AudioClock::finish_set (Temporal::timepos_t const & when, bool btn_en)
 			_right_btn.set_elements (ArdourButton::Text);
 			_left_btn.set_alignment (0, .5);
 			_right_btn.set_alignment (1, .5);
-			set_tooltip (_left_btn, _(""));
-			set_tooltip (_right_btn, _(""));
+			set_tooltip (_left_btn, (""));
+			set_tooltip (_right_btn, (""));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/session_dialog.cc b/gtk2_ardour/session_dialog.cc
index 9ff183f850..29182add85 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/session_dialog.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/session_dialog.cc
@@ -601,8 +601,8 @@ SessionDialog::populate_session_templates ()
 	row[session_template_columns.name] = (_("Empty Template"));
 	row[session_template_columns.path] = string();
 	row[session_template_columns.description] = _("An empty session with factory default settings.\n\nSelect this option if you are importing files to mix.");
-	row[session_template_columns.modified_with_short] = _("");
-	row[session_template_columns.modified_with_long] = _("");
+	row[session_template_columns.modified_with_short] = ("");
+	row[session_template_columns.modified_with_long] = ("");
 
 	//auto-select the first item in the list
 	Gtk::TreeModel::Row first = template_model->children()[0];