--- a/src/ov-base.cc	Wed Jan 26 17:58:07 2011 -0500
+++ b/src/ov-base.cc	Wed Jan 26 20:39:15 2011 -0500
@@ -278,16 +278,27 @@
   else
     {
       // Create new object of appropriate type for given index and rhs
-      // types and then call subsasgn again for that object.
+      // types and then call undef_subsasgn for that object.
 
       octave_value tmp = octave_value::empty_conv (type, rhs);
 
-      retval = tmp.subsasgn (type, idx, rhs);
+      retval = tmp.undef_subsasgn (type, idx, rhs);
     }
 
   return retval;
 }
 
+octave_value
+octave_base_value::undef_subsasgn (const std::string& type,
+                                   const std::list<octave_value_list>& idx,
+                                   const octave_value& rhs)
+{
+  // In most cases, undef_subsasgn is handled the sams as subsasgn.  One
+  // exception is octave_class objects.
+
+  return subsasgn (type, idx, rhs);
+}
+
 octave_idx_type
 octave_base_value::nnz (void) const
 {