diff --git a/simgear/props/props.cxx b/simgear/props/props.cxx
index 50b412cb..60a19aa4 100644
--- a/simgear/props/props.cxx
+++ b/simgear/props/props.cxx
@@ -969,9 +969,9 @@ SGPropertyNode::getPath (bool simplify) const
 }
 
 SGPropertyNode::Type
-SGPropertyNode::getType (bool deref_alias) const
+SGPropertyNode::getType () const
 {
-  if (_type == ALIAS && deref_alias)
+  if (_type == ALIAS)
     return _value.alias->getType();
   else
     return _type;
diff --git a/simgear/props/props.hxx b/simgear/props/props.hxx
index c800f29d..a08d6ffa 100644
--- a/simgear/props/props.hxx
+++ b/simgear/props/props.hxx
@@ -850,10 +850,8 @@ public:
 
   /**
    * Get the type of leaf value, if any, for this node.
-   * When applied to an ALIAS node, deref_alias decides if the type
-   * of the referred node is to be returned (default), or ALIAS.
    */
-  Type getType (bool deref_alias = true) const;
+  Type getType () const;
 
 
   /**
diff --git a/simgear/props/props_io.cxx b/simgear/props/props_io.cxx
index ec549011..0aba26ed 100644
--- a/simgear/props/props_io.cxx
+++ b/simgear/props/props_io.cxx
@@ -368,7 +368,6 @@ getTypeName (SGPropertyNode::Type type)
   case SGPropertyNode::STRING:
     return "string";
   case SGPropertyNode::ALIAS:
-    return "alias";
   case SGPropertyNode::NONE:
     return "unspecified";
   }
@@ -551,7 +550,7 @@ copyProperties (const SGPropertyNode *in, SGPropertyNode *out)
 				// First, copy the actual value,
 				// if any.
   if (in->hasValue()) {
-    switch (in->getType(false)) {
+    switch (in->getType()) {
     case SGPropertyNode::BOOL:
       if (!out->setBoolValue(in->getBoolValue()))
 	retval = false;
@@ -580,13 +579,9 @@ copyProperties (const SGPropertyNode *in, SGPropertyNode *out)
       if (!out->setUnspecifiedValue(in->getStringValue()))
 	retval = false;
       break;
-    case SGPropertyNode::ALIAS: {
-      const char *path = in->getAliasTarget()->getPath();
-      SGPropertyNode *node = out->getRootNode()->getNode(path, true);
-      out->alias(node);
-      break;
-    }
     default:
+      if (in->isAlias())
+	break;
       string message = "Unknown internal SGPropertyNode type";
       message += in->getType();
       throw sg_error(message, "SimGear Property Reader");