diff --git a/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.cc b/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.cc
index 6abba7fba6b..37912ea8adf 100644
--- a/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.cc
+++ b/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.cc
@@ -514,7 +514,6 @@ CuDevice::CuDevice():
     cusparse_handle_(NULL) {
 }
 
-
 CuDevice::~CuDevice() {
   if (cublas_handle_)
     CUBLAS_SAFE_CALL(cublasDestroy(cublas_handle_));
diff --git a/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.h b/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.h
index 4967ccb5045..dc3df7e347d 100644
--- a/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.h
+++ b/src/cudamatrix/cu-device.h
@@ -184,10 +184,10 @@ class CuDevice {
   /// (i.e. from outside the class), call this only if Enabled() returns true.
   bool IsComputeExclusive();
 
-  CuDevice();
-
   ~CuDevice();
  private:
+  // Default constructor used to initialize this_thread_device_
+  CuDevice();
   CuDevice(CuDevice&); // Disallow.
   CuDevice &operator=(CuDevice&);  // Disallow.