diff --git a/Utils/Exception.cci b/Utils/Exception.cci
index 852852aa0b7f1473cb0987f197289f8031d3c22c..6f7e13dc08ebf1c27bc44766b761d05d44393d30 100644
--- a/Utils/Exception.cci
+++ b/Utils/Exception.cci
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ prefix_ std::string senf::ExceptionMixin::message()
 #ifdef SENF_DEBUG
     return what_.substr(excLen_);
 #else
-    return message_;
+    return what_;
 #endif
 }