diff --git a/src/aevol_create.cpp b/src/aevol_create.cpp
index bde90fed4ba9a7e4bd6fe02cb174ff7a51c72e5a..946b1a44c5e9e7183d4bb6199e671d9f279f2b5b 100644
--- a/src/aevol_create.cpp
+++ b/src/aevol_create.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
  *  \brief
  */
 
-const char* DEFAULT_PARAM_FILE_NAME = "param.in";
-
 // ============================================================================
 //                                   Includes
 // ============================================================================
@@ -50,6 +48,8 @@ const char* DEFAULT_PARAM_FILE_NAME = "param.in";
 #include "parameters/ParamLoader.h"
 #include "parameters/ParamReader.h"
 
+const std::string DEFAULT_PARAM_FILE_NAME = "param.in";
+
 using namespace aevol;
 
 // Helper functions
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ void print_help(char* prog_path);
 void interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]);
 
 // Command-line option variables
-static char* param_file_name = nullptr;
+static std::string param_file_name;
 static std::string chromosome_file_name;
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
@@ -66,9 +66,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   // Print the hash and date of the commit used to compile this executable
   printf("Running aevol version %s\n", version_string);
 
-  assert(param_file_name != nullptr);
   // Read the parameter file
-  ParamValues param_values = ParamReader::read_file(param_file_name);
+  ParamValues param_values = ParamReader::read_file(param_file_name.c_str());
 
   // Initialize the experiment manager
   exp_manager = new ExpManager();
@@ -99,7 +98,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   exp_manager->Save(true);
 
   delete exp_manager;
-  delete[] param_file_name;
 }
 
 
@@ -174,8 +172,7 @@ void interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
       }
       case 'f' : {
-        param_file_name = new char[strlen(optarg) + 1];
-        strcpy(param_file_name, optarg);
+        param_file_name = optarg;
         break;
       }
       case 'C': {
@@ -191,8 +188,7 @@ void interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   }
 
   // Set undefined command line parameters to default values
-  if (param_file_name == nullptr) {
-    param_file_name = new char[strlen(DEFAULT_PARAM_FILE_NAME) + 1];
-    strcpy(param_file_name, DEFAULT_PARAM_FILE_NAME);
+  if (param_file_name.length() == 0) {
+    param_file_name = DEFAULT_PARAM_FILE_NAME;
   }
 }