diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObjectList/functionObjectList.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObjectList/functionObjectList.C
index c928e11e48..f35e6f7ee7 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObjectList/functionObjectList.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObjectList/functionObjectList.C
@@ -435,8 +435,7 @@ Foam::autoPtr<Foam::functionObjectList> Foam::functionObjectList::New
     {
         modifiedControlDict = true;
 
-        ITstream is("funcs", args["funcs"]);
-        wordList funcNames(is);
+        wordList funcNames = args.readList<word>("funcs");
 
         for (const word& funcName : funcNames)
         {