diff --git a/include/boost/archive/impl/text_iarchive_impl.ipp b/include/boost/archive/impl/text_iarchive_impl.ipp
index 59056e48..4c4996b7 100644
--- a/include/boost/archive/impl/text_iarchive_impl.ipp
+++ b/include/boost/archive/impl/text_iarchive_impl.ipp
@@ -52,12 +52,9 @@ text_iarchive_impl<Archive>::load(std::string &s)
     #if BOOST_WORKAROUND(_RWSTD_VER, BOOST_TESTED_AT(20101))
     if(NULL != s.data())
     #endif
-        #if  __GNUC__ > 3
-            s.clear();
-        #endif
         s.resize(size);
     if(0 < size)
-        is.read(&(*s.begin()), size);
+    	is.read(&(*s.begin()), size);
 }
 
 #ifndef BOOST_NO_CWCHAR
@@ -86,9 +83,6 @@ text_iarchive_impl<Archive>::load(std::wstring &ws)
     #if BOOST_WORKAROUND(_RWSTD_VER, BOOST_TESTED_AT(20101))
     if(NULL != ws.data())
     #endif
-        #if  __GNUC__ > 3
-            s.clear();
-        #endif
         ws.resize(size);
     // skip separating space
     is.get();
diff --git a/include/boost/archive/impl/text_wiarchive_impl.ipp b/include/boost/archive/impl/text_wiarchive_impl.ipp
index c47e384a..e838db04 100644
--- a/include/boost/archive/impl/text_wiarchive_impl.ipp
+++ b/include/boost/archive/impl/text_wiarchive_impl.ipp
@@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ text_wiarchive_impl<Archive>::load(std::wstring &ws)
     #if BOOST_WORKAROUND(_RWSTD_VER, BOOST_TESTED_AT(20101))
     if(NULL != ws.data())
     #endif
-        #if  __GNUC__ > 3
-            ws.clear();
-        #endif
         ws.resize(size);
     // note breaking a rule here - is this a problem on some platform
     is.read(const_cast<wchar_t *>(ws.data()), size);