diff --git a/common/fixedarray.hh b/common/fixedarray.hh
index 21de1aef90d1d8f357d09dd716d2178c66361e5c..164cf1684b8c8be2ab5477675915678128636813 100644
--- a/common/fixedarray.hh
+++ b/common/fixedarray.hh
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ namespace Dune
     enum { dimension = N };
 
     //! Create uninitialized array
-    FixedArray () DUNE_DEPRECATED {}
+    FixedArray () {}
 
     //! Initialize all components with same size
     FixedArray (T t) DUNE_DEPRECATED
@@ -146,13 +146,21 @@ namespace Dune
     /** \brief Return array size */
     int size() const {return N;}
 
-    //! Assign value to all entries
-    FixedArray<T,N>& operator= (const T& t)
+    /** \brief Assign value to all entries
+     * @deprecated Use assign instead.
+     */
+    FixedArray<T,N>& operator= (const T& t) DUNE_DEPRECATED
     {
-      for (int i=0; i<N; i++) a[i]=t;
+      assign(t);
       return (*this);
     }
 
+    //! \brief Assign value to all entries
+    void assign(const T& t)
+    {
+      for (int i=0; i<N; i++) a[i]=t;
+    }
+
     //! Component access
     T& operator[] (int i)
     {