diff --git a/Sofa/Component/Collision/Response/Contact/src/sofa/component/collision/response/contact/ContactListener.h b/Sofa/Component/Collision/Response/Contact/src/sofa/component/collision/response/contact/ContactListener.h
index 1d74785b377..1de107cd53a 100644
--- a/Sofa/Component/Collision/Response/Contact/src/sofa/component/collision/response/contact/ContactListener.h
+++ b/Sofa/Component/Collision/Response/Contact/src/sofa/component/collision/response/contact/ContactListener.h
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ class SOFA_COMPONENT_COLLISION_RESPONSE_CONTACT_API ContactListener : public vir
 
         if(arg)
         {
-            collModelPath1 = arg->getAttribute(std::string("collisionModel1"), nullptr );
-            collModelPath2 = arg->getAttribute(std::string("collisionModel2"), nullptr );
+            collModelPath1 = arg->getAttribute(std::string("collisionModel1"), "" );
+            collModelPath2 = arg->getAttribute(std::string("collisionModel2"), "" );
 
             // now 3 cases
             if ( strcmp( collModelPath1.c_str(),"" ) != 0  )