diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/CheckedExceptionTunnel.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/CheckedExceptionTunnel.java
index 4fea3cbf2e7da216348c2325a9cc4ba8f3269f38..1c5ef506ca30b4b5240e09718101263de7e4d47c 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/CheckedExceptionTunnel.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/CheckedExceptionTunnel.java
@@ -94,17 +94,6 @@ public class CheckedExceptionTunnel extends RuntimeException
         return new CheckedExceptionTunnel(exception);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Returns the original exception before being wrapped for an {@link WrappedIOException}.
-     */
-    public final static IOException unwrapIfNecessary(final WrappedIOException exception)
-    {
-        assert exception != null : "Exception not specified.";
-
-        // We are sure that the wrapped exception is an 'IOException'.
-        return (IOException) exception.getCause();
-    }
-
     /**
      * Returns the original exception before being wrapped, if the exception has been wrapped, or
      * <var>exception</var> otherwise.
diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/WrappedIOException.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/WrappedIOException.java
index 983ea1b89fda07a1f4530f977033b35c3a975727..e8fa2e620fc55ad555d01f0c7dae968f1d84cac3 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/WrappedIOException.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/exceptions/WrappedIOException.java
@@ -39,4 +39,10 @@ public class WrappedIOException extends CheckedExceptionTunnel
         assert checkedException != null;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public IOException getCause()
+    {
+        return (IOException) super.getCause();
+    }
+
 }