diff --git a/scripts/mk_util.py b/scripts/mk_util.py
index 112096271..d5f1b055b 100644
--- a/scripts/mk_util.py
+++ b/scripts/mk_util.py
@@ -1507,7 +1507,7 @@ def def_module_params(module_name, export, params, class_name=None, description=
     out.write('  params_ref const & p;\n')
     if export:
         out.write('  params_ref g;\n')
-    out.write('  %s(params_ref const & _p = params_ref()):\n' % class_name)
+    out.write('  %s(params_ref const & _p = params_ref::get_empty()):\n' % class_name)
     out.write('     p(_p)')
     if export:
         out.write(', g(gparams::get_module("%s"))' % module_name)
diff --git a/src/util/params.cpp b/src/util/params.cpp
index f302f7721..d9878c70a 100644
--- a/src/util/params.cpp
+++ b/src/util/params.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ Notes:
 #include"symbol.h"
 #include"dictionary.h"
 
+params_ref params_ref::g_empty_params_ref;
+
 std::string norm_param_name(char const * n) {
     if (n == 0)
         return "_";
diff --git a/src/util/params.h b/src/util/params.h
index 13850758c..15be825b0 100644
--- a/src/util/params.h
+++ b/src/util/params.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ class params;
 class param_descrs;
 
 class params_ref {
+    static params_ref g_empty_params_ref;
+    
     params * m_params;
     void init();
     void copy_core(params const * p);
@@ -38,7 +40,9 @@ public:
     params_ref():m_params(0) {}
     params_ref(params_ref const & p);
     ~params_ref();
-
+    
+    static params_ref const & get_empty() { return g_empty_params_ref; }
+    
     params_ref & operator=(params_ref const & p);
     
     // copy params from src