diff --git a/fem/feoperator.hh b/fem/feoperator.hh
index 63e7a061150cc55c106b579766c7ec508f477101..c7bc888453594ec618a9b33ae8657b4e11f5204e 100644
--- a/fem/feoperator.hh
+++ b/fem/feoperator.hh
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ namespace Dune {
         LevelIterator it = grid.template lbegin<0>( grid.maxlevel() );
         LevelIterator endit = grid.template lend<0> ( grid.maxlevel() );
         enum {maxnumOfBaseFct = 30};
-        if (!matrix_) matrix_ = newEmptyMatrix();
+        if (!matrix_) matrix_ = this->newEmptyMatrix();
 
         FieldMatrix<double,maxnumOfBaseFct,maxnumOfBaseFct> mat;