diff --git a/src/common/header.cc b/src/common/header.cc
index 9a88cc617..49e2683b0 100644
--- a/src/common/header.cc
+++ b/src/common/header.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@
 namespace ns3 {
 
 Header::Header ()
-  : m_isDeserialized (false) {}
+  : m_isDeserialized (false) 
+{}
+
+Header::~Header ()
+{}
 
 void 
 Header::Print (std::ostream &os) const
@@ -54,11 +58,6 @@ Header::IsDeserialized (void) const
   return m_isDeserialized;
 }
 
-
-
-Header::~Header ()
-{}
-
 std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& os, Header const& header)
 {
   header.Print (os);
diff --git a/src/common/header.h b/src/common/header.h
index 899747499..fe93c8037 100644
--- a/src/common/header.h
+++ b/src/common/header.h
@@ -42,10 +42,7 @@ namespace ns3 {
 class Header {
 public:
   Header ();
-  /**
-   * Derived classes must provide an explicit virtual destructor
-   */
-  virtual ~Header () = 0;
+  virtual ~Header ();
 
   void Print (std::ostream &os) const;
   uint32_t GetSize (void) const;
diff --git a/src/common/trailer.cc b/src/common/trailer.cc
index 3531e89f4..c80a8426f 100644
--- a/src/common/trailer.cc
+++ b/src/common/trailer.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@
 namespace ns3 {
 
 Trailer::Trailer ()
-  : m_isDeserialized (false) {}
+  : m_isDeserialized (false) 
+{}
+
+Trailer::~Trailer ()
+{}
 
 void 
 Trailer::Print (std::ostream &os) const
@@ -54,11 +58,6 @@ Trailer::IsDeserialized (void) const
   return m_isDeserialized;
 }
 
-
-
-Trailer::~Trailer ()
-{}
-
 std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& os, Trailer const& trailer)
 {
   trailer.Print (os);
diff --git a/src/common/trailer.h b/src/common/trailer.h
index 5daac0ca2..a8bb7acb3 100644
--- a/src/common/trailer.h
+++ b/src/common/trailer.h
@@ -42,10 +42,7 @@ namespace ns3 {
 class Trailer {
 public:
   Trailer ();
-  /**
-   * Derived classes must provide an explicit virtual destructor
-   */
-  virtual ~Trailer () = 0;
+  virtual ~Trailer ();
 
   void Print (std::ostream &os) const;
   uint32_t GetSize (void) const;