diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C
index bdb31516bac60b06d5e0cf97c183f23b8b018374..213ae54c76151e3352b406d78701099f80d611c0 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.C
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ bool Foam::Pstream::parRun_(false);
 Foam::List<int> Foam::Pstream::procIDs_(1, 0);
 
 // Standard transfer message type
-const int Foam::Pstream::msgType_(1);
+int Foam::Pstream::msgType_(1);
 
 // Linear communication schedule
 Foam::List<Foam::Pstream::commsStruct> Foam::Pstream::linearCommunication_(0);
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H
index f54f02b2717b0d41cfa061627207c50ba65b496c..f30caf0d9eb2b4c9d1193e869e32b31fd6fb36e0 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOstreams/Pstreams/Pstream.H
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ private:
         static bool parRun_;
 
         static List<int> procIDs_;
-        static const int msgType_;
+        static int msgType_;
 
         static List<commsStruct> linearCommunication_;
         static List<commsStruct> treeCommunication_;
@@ -337,11 +337,12 @@ public:
         }
 
         //- Message tag of standard messages
-        static int msgType()
+        static int& msgType()
         {
             return msgType_;
         }
 
+
             //- Get the communications type of the stream
             commsTypes commsType() const
             {