diff --git a/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.cpp b/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.cpp
index 0b0152026..3f62ed6d8 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.cpp
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ namespace gtsam {
   {
     if(!description_)
       description_ = String(
-          "\nIndeterminant linear system detected while working near variable with\n"
-          "index " + boost::lexical_cast<String>(j_) + " in ordering.\n"
+          "\nIndeterminant linear system detected while working near variable\n"
+          + boost::lexical_cast<String>(j_) + ".\n"
           "\n\
 Thrown when a linear system is ill-posed.  The most common cause for this\n\
 error is having underconstrained variables.  Mathematically, the system is\n\
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h b/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h
index 62f12cc2e..4afc4f67e 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h
+++ b/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   class GTSAM_EXPORT IndeterminantLinearSystemException : public ThreadsafeException<IndeterminantLinearSystemException> {
     Index j_;
   public:
-    IndeterminantLinearSystemException(Index j) throw() : j_(j) {}
+    IndeterminantLinearSystemException(Index j) throw();
     virtual ~IndeterminantLinearSystemException() throw() {}
     Index nearbyVariable() const { return j_; }
     virtual const char* what() const throw();