diff --git a/c++/src/H5Exception.cpp b/c++/src/H5Exception.cpp
index 73853418e3..5e7ccd4066 100644
--- a/c++/src/H5Exception.cpp
+++ b/c++/src/H5Exception.cpp
@@ -295,16 +295,33 @@ const char* Exception::getCFuncName() const
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Function:	Exception::printError (static)
+// Function:	Exception::printErrorStack (static)
 ///\brief	Prints the error stack in a default manner.
-///\param	stream - IN: File pointer
+///\param	stream    - IN: File pointer, default to stderr
+///\param	err_stack - IN: Error stack ID, default to H5E_DEFAULT(0)
 // Programmer	Binh-Minh Ribler - 2000
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void Exception::printError( FILE* stream )
+void Exception::printErrorStack(FILE* stream, hid_t err_stack)
 {
-   herr_t ret_value = H5Eprint2( H5E_DEFAULT, stream ); // print to stderr
+   herr_t ret_value = H5Eprint2(err_stack, stream);
    if( ret_value < 0 )
-      throw Exception( "Exception::printError", "H5Eprint failed" );
+      throw Exception( "Printing error stack", "H5Eprint2 failed" );
+}
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Function:	Exception::printError
+///\brief	Prints the error stack in a default manner.  This member
+///		function is replaced by the static function printErrorStack
+///		and will be removed from the next major release.
+///\param	stream - IN: File pointer
+// Programmer	Binh-Minh Ribler - 2000
+// Description:
+//		This function can be removed in next major release.
+//		-BMR, 2014/04/24
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void Exception::printError(FILE* stream) const
+{
+    Exception::printErrorStack(stream, H5E_DEFAULT);
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/c++/src/H5Exception.h b/c++/src/H5Exception.h
index 267c84bc69..ce35fde68f 100644
--- a/c++/src/H5Exception.h
+++ b/c++/src/H5Exception.h
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ class H5_DLLCPP Exception {
 				H5E_walk2_t func, void* client_data);
 
 	// Prints the error stack in a default manner.
-	static void printError( FILE* stream = NULL );
+	static void printErrorStack(FILE* stream = stderr,
+				    hid_t err_stack = H5E_DEFAULT); // Static
+	void printError(FILE* stream = NULL) const;
 
 	// Default constructor
 	Exception();
diff --git a/c++/test/trefer.cpp b/c++/test/trefer.cpp
index e7a28de036..dcfb644e18 100644
--- a/c++/test/trefer.cpp
+++ b/c++/test/trefer.cpp
@@ -321,6 +321,10 @@ static void test_reference_obj(void)
 	H5std_string read_comment1 = group.getComment(".", 10);
 	verify_val(read_comment1.c_str(), write_comment, "Group::getComment",__LINE__,__FILE__);
 
+	// Test with the old default value
+	read_comment1 = group.getComment(".", 256);
+	verify_val(read_comment1.c_str(), write_comment, "Group::getComment",__LINE__,__FILE__);
+
 	// Test that getComment handles failures gracefully, using
 	// H5std_string getComment(const char* name, <buf_size=0 by default>)
 	try {