diff --git a/cryptlib.cpp b/cryptlib.cpp
index da639eed..dc6e2b33 100644
--- a/cryptlib.cpp
+++ b/cryptlib.cpp
@@ -46,19 +46,16 @@ CRYPTOPP_COMPILE_ASSERT(sizeof(dword) == 2*sizeof(word));
 CRYPTOPP_COMPILE_ASSERT(CRYPTOPP_INIT_PRIORITY >= 101);
 const std::string DEFAULT_CHANNEL __attribute__ ((init_priority (CRYPTOPP_INIT_PRIORITY + 25))) = "";
 const std::string AAD_CHANNEL __attribute__ ((init_priority (CRYPTOPP_INIT_PRIORITY + 26))) = "AAD";
-const std::string &BufferedTransformation::NULL_CHANNEL = DEFAULT_CHANNEL;
 #elif HAVE_MSC_INIT_PRIORITY
 #pragma warning(disable: 4073)
 #pragma init_seg(lib)
 const std::string DEFAULT_CHANNEL = "";
 const std::string AAD_CHANNEL = "AAD";
-const std::string &BufferedTransformation::NULL_CHANNEL = DEFAULT_CHANNEL;
 #pragma warning(default: 4073)
 #else
 static const std::string s1(""), s2("AAD");
 const std::string DEFAULT_CHANNEL = s1;
 const std::string AAD_CHANNEL = s2;
-const std::string &BufferedTransformation::NULL_CHANNEL = DEFAULT_CHANNEL;
 #endif
 
 class NullNameValuePairs : public NameValuePairs
diff --git a/cryptlib.h b/cryptlib.h
index 5f7ec752..87d1a695 100644
--- a/cryptlib.h
+++ b/cryptlib.h
@@ -1335,9 +1335,6 @@ extern CRYPTOPP_DLL const std::string AAD_CHANNEL;
 class CRYPTOPP_DLL CRYPTOPP_NO_VTABLE BufferedTransformation : public Algorithm, public Waitable
 {
 public:
-	// placed up here for CW8
-	static const std::string &NULL_CHANNEL;	// same as DEFAULT_CHANNEL, for backwards compatibility
-
 	virtual ~BufferedTransformation() {}
 
 	//! \brief Construct a BufferedTransformation