diff --git a/src/game_events.cpp b/src/game_events.cpp
index 2d091ee4a80..3db036e6232 100644
--- a/src/game_events.cpp
+++ b/src/game_events.cpp
@@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ namespace {
 		const std::string name = cfg["name"];
 		t_string& var = state_of_game->get_variable(name);
 
-		const t_string& literal = cfg.get_attribute("literal");	// no $var substitution
+		const t_string &literal = cfg.get_config()["literal"]; // no $var substitution
 		if(literal.empty() == false) {
 			var = literal;
 		}
diff --git a/src/variable.hpp b/src/variable.hpp
index 1d5d459220e..7380dc2c74e 100644
--- a/src/variable.hpp
+++ b/src/variable.hpp
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ public:
 	*/
 	const t_string operator[](const std::string& key) const { return expand(key); }
 	const t_string expand(const std::string&) const; /** < Synonym for operator[] */
-	const t_string& get_attribute(const std::string& key) const { return (*cfg_)[key]; }
 	bool has_attribute(const std::string& key) const { return cfg_->has_attribute(key); }
 	bool empty() const { return (null() || cfg_->empty()); }