--- a/liboctave/cmd-hist.cc
+++ b/liboctave/cmd-hist.cc
@@ -185,13 +185,8 @@
 }
 
 void
-command_history::read (const string& f_arg, bool must_exist)
+command_history::read (const string& f, bool must_exist)
 {
-  string f = f_arg;
-
-  if (f.empty ())
-    f = xfile;
-
   if (! f.empty ())
     {
       int status = ::read_history (f.c_str ());
@@ -209,23 +204,19 @@
     error ("command_history::read: missing file name");
 }
 
+void
 command_history::read_range (int from, int to, bool must_exist)
 {
   read_range (xfile, from, to, must_exist);
 }
 
 void
-command_history::read_range (const string& f_arg, int from, int to,
+command_history::read_range (const string& f, int from, int to,
 			     bool must_exist)
 {
   if (from < 0)
     from = lines_in_file;
 
-  string f = f_arg;
-
-  if (f.empty ())
-    f = xfile;
-
   if (! f.empty ())
     {
       int status = ::read_history_range (f.c_str (), from, to);

--- a/liboctave/cmd-hist.h
+++ b/liboctave/cmd-hist.h
@@ -32,9 +32,7 @@
 {
 public:
 
-  command_history (const string& = string (), int = -1, bool = false)
-
-  command_history (const string& = string (), int = -1)
+  command_history (const string& = string (), int = -1);
 
   ~command_history (void) { initialized = false; }
 
@@ -68,12 +66,12 @@
 
   void read (bool = true);
 
-  void read (const string& = string (), bool = true)
+  void read (const string&, bool = true);
 
-  void read_range (int = -1, int = -1, bool = true)
+  void read_range (int = -1, int = -1, bool = true);
 
-  void read_range (const string& = string (), int = -1, int = -1,
-		   bool = true)
+  void read_range (const string&, int = -1, int = -1,
+		   bool = true);
 
   void write (const string& = string ());