diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.cc b/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.cc
index 84c9fe7c67..3e21f82fa4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ GUIObjectState::get_node (const XMLNode* parent, const string& id)
 {
 	XMLNodeList const & children = parent->children ();
 	for (XMLNodeList::const_iterator i = children.begin(); i != children.end(); ++i) {
+
 		if ((*i)->name() != X_("Object")) {
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ string
 GUIObjectState::get_string (const string& id, const string& prop_name, bool* empty)
 {
 	XMLNode* child = get_node (&_state, id);
+
 	if (!child) {
 		if (empty) {
 			*empty = true;
@@ -126,13 +128,6 @@ GUIObjectState::load (const XMLNode& node)
 	(void) set_state (node);
 }
 
-GUIObjectState&
-GUIObjectState::operator= (const GUIObjectState& other)
-{
-	_state = other._state;
-	return *this;
-}
-
 std::list<string>
 GUIObjectState::all_ids () const
 {
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.h b/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.h
index 694a5e9212..dd56f4b34c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/gui_object.h
@@ -34,15 +34,13 @@ class GUIObjectState
 {
 public:
 	GUIObjectState ();
-	
+
 	XMLNode& get_state () const;
 	int set_state (const XMLNode&);
 
 	static const std::string xml_node_name;
 	void load (const XMLNode&);
 
-	GUIObjectState& operator= (const GUIObjectState& other);
-
 	std::string get_string (const std::string& id, const std::string& prop_name, bool* empty = 0);
 
 	template<typename T> void set (const std::string& id, const std::string& prop_name, const T& val) {
@@ -59,7 +57,6 @@ public:
 	static XMLNode* get_or_add_node (XMLNode *, const std::string &);
 	
   private:
-	
 	XMLNode _state;
 };