diff --git a/include/tclap/CmdLine.h b/include/tclap/CmdLine.h
index b23f5b4..8fcb607 100644
--- a/include/tclap/CmdLine.h
+++ b/include/tclap/CmdLine.h
@@ -88,8 +88,30 @@ class CmdLine
 		 */
 		bool _emptyCombined(const string& s);
 
+	private:
+
+		/**
+		 * Encapsulates the code common to the constructors (which is all
+		 * of it).
+		 */
+		void _constructor();
+
 	public:
 
+		/**
+		 * Command line constructor. DEPRECATED!!!  This is here to maintain
+		 * backwards compatibility with earlier releases.  Note that the
+		 * program name will be overwritten with argv[0].  The delimiter
+		 * used is ' ' (as before).
+		 * \param name - The program name - will be overwritten with argv[0].
+		 * \param message - The message to be used in the usage output.
+		 * \param version - The version number to be used in the
+		 * --version switch.
+		 */
+		CmdLine(const string& name, 
+				const string& message,
+				const string& version = "none" );
+
 		/**
 		 * Command line constructor. Defines how the arguments will be
 		 * parsed.
diff --git a/src/CmdLine.cpp b/src/CmdLine.cpp
index e9af286..a72a3ed 100644
--- a/src/CmdLine.cpp
+++ b/src/CmdLine.cpp
@@ -24,12 +24,27 @@
 
 namespace TCLAP {
 
+CmdLine::CmdLine(const string& n, const string& m, const string& v )
+: _progName(n),
+  _message(m),
+  _version(v),
+  _numRequired(0),
+  _delimiter(' ')
+{ 
+	_constructor();
+}
+
 CmdLine::CmdLine(const string& m, char delim, const string& v )
 : _progName("not_set_yet"),
   _message(m),
   _version(v),
   _numRequired(0),
   _delimiter(delim)
+{
+	_constructor();
+}
+
+void CmdLine::_constructor()
 { 
 	Arg::setDelimiter( _delimiter );