diff --git a/docs-mini/README.IO b/docs-mini/README.IO
index f5b45799d..38607916e 100644
--- a/docs-mini/README.IO
+++ b/docs-mini/README.IO
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Generic Communction:
     params can be:
     serial port communication:    serial,dir,hz,device,baud,protocol
     socket communication:         socket,dir,hz,machine,port,style,protocol
-    output to a file:             file,dir,hz,filename,,protocol
+    output to a file:             file,dir,hz,filename,protocol
 
 
     The confinfiguration file is defined as follows:
diff --git a/src/Main/fg_io.cxx b/src/Main/fg_io.cxx
index 2e06e16b9..d898baec4 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_io.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_io.cxx
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ FGIO::parse_port_config( const string& config )
         } else if ( protocol == "generic" ) {
             int n = 6;
             if (tokens[1] == "socket")  n++;
+            else if (tokens[1] == "file") n--;
             FGGeneric *generic = new FGGeneric( tokens[n] );
             io = generic;