diff --git a/DDCore/src/XML/DocumentHandler.cpp b/DDCore/src/XML/DocumentHandler.cpp
index 843ba706e67237139594ebf3df6bc086932b1cd5..25b31a4f58eb4bdd58d065e08e86c16b6c28d50d 100644
--- a/DDCore/src/XML/DocumentHandler.cpp
+++ b/DDCore/src/XML/DocumentHandler.cpp
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ DocumentHandler::~DocumentHandler() {
 }
 
 /// Build qualified URI from base element and additional path
-string DocumentHandler::uri(Handle_t base, const XMLCh* fname)   {
+static string uri(Handle_t base, const XMLCh* fname)   {
   xercesc::DOMElement* e = (xercesc::DOMElement*) base.ptr();
   xercesc::XMLURL base_url(e->getBaseURI());
   xercesc::XMLURL ref_url(base_url, fname);