diff --git a/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h b/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h
index 9b2a611d9e..4e5bb29f55 100644
--- a/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h
+++ b/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h
@@ -485,7 +485,6 @@ public:
 private:
 	std::string                   _author;
 	MasterDeviceNamesList         _master_device_names_list;
-	XMLTree                       _document;
 	MasterDeviceNames::Models     _all_models;
 };
 
diff --git a/libs/midi++2/midnam_patch.cc b/libs/midi++2/midnam_patch.cc
index 1ec6062205..bf841e9a68 100644
--- a/libs/midi++2/midnam_patch.cc
+++ b/libs/midi++2/midnam_patch.cc
@@ -877,12 +877,13 @@ MasterDeviceNames::get_state(void)
 
 MIDINameDocument::MIDINameDocument (const string& filename)
 {
-	if (!_document.read (filename)) {
+	XMLTree document;
+	if (!document.read (filename)) {
 		throw failed_constructor ();
 	}
 
-	_document.set_filename (filename);
-	set_state (_document, *_document.root());
+	document.set_filename (filename);
+	set_state (document, *document.root());
 }
 
 int