diff --git a/lib/check.h b/lib/check.h
index ab9c53414..8384b2d87 100644
--- a/lib/check.h
+++ b/lib/check.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ protected:
     }
 
     /** report an error */
-    void reportError(const std::list<const Token *> &callstack, const Severity::SeverityType severity, const std::string &id, std::string msg)
+    void reportError(const std::list<const Token *> &callstack, Severity::SeverityType severity, const std::string &id, std::string msg)
     {
         // If the verbose flag hasn't been given, don't show verbose information
         if (!_settings || !_settings->_verbose)
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ protected:
             locationList.push_back(loc);
         }
 
-        const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList, Severity::toString(severity), msg, id);
+        const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList, severity, msg, id);
         if (_errorLogger)
             _errorLogger->reportErr(errmsg);
         else
diff --git a/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp b/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp
index 58cdbfc07..21d47adf6 100644
--- a/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ void CheckMemoryLeak::reportErr(const std::list<const Token *> &callstack, Sever
         locations.push_back(loc);
     }
 
-    const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locations, Severity::toString(severity), msg, id);
+    const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locations, severity, msg, id);
 
     if (errorLogger)
         errorLogger->reportErr(errmsg);
diff --git a/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp b/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp
index bebfb2d9f..5645c7e56 100644
--- a/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ void CheckUnusedFunctions::unusedFunctionError(ErrorLogger * const errorLogger,
         locationList.push_back(fileLoc);
     }
 
-    const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList, Severity::toString(Severity::style), "The function '" + funcname + "' is never used", "unusedFunction");
+    const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList, Severity::style, "The function '" + funcname + "' is never used", "unusedFunction");
     if (errorLogger)
         errorLogger->reportErr(errmsg);
     else
diff --git a/lib/errorlogger.cpp b/lib/errorlogger.cpp
index bf7db4eed..f419b30c3 100644
--- a/lib/errorlogger.cpp
+++ b/lib/errorlogger.cpp
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@
 #include <sstream>
 
 ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage::ErrorMessage()
-	:_severity(Severity::none)
+    :_severity(Severity::none)
 {
 
 }
 #include <iostream>
-ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage::ErrorMessage(const std::list<FileLocation> &callStack, const std::string &severity, const std::string &msg, const std::string &id)
+ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage::ErrorMessage(const std::list<FileLocation> &callStack, Severity::SeverityType severity, const std::string &msg, const std::string &id)
 {
     _callStack = callStack;
-    _severity = Severity::fromString(severity);
+    _severity = severity;
     _msg = msg;
     _id = id;
 }
@@ -224,12 +224,10 @@ void ErrorLogger::_writemsg(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const std::list<const To
         locationList.push_back(loc);
     }
 
-    reportErr(ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage(locationList, severity, msg, id));
+    std::string strseverity(severity);
+    reportErr(ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage(locationList, Severity::fromString(strseverity), msg, id));
 }
 
-
-
-
 std::string ErrorLogger::callStackToString(const std::list<ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage::FileLocation> &callStack)
 {
     std::ostringstream ostr;
diff --git a/lib/errorlogger.h b/lib/errorlogger.h
index 9c637cf06..f03571a20 100644
--- a/lib/errorlogger.h
+++ b/lib/errorlogger.h
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public:
             unsigned int line;
         };
 
-        ErrorMessage(const std::list<FileLocation> &callStack, const std::string &severity, const std::string &msg, const std::string &id);
+        ErrorMessage(const std::list<FileLocation> &callStack, Severity::SeverityType severity, const std::string &msg, const std::string &id);
         ErrorMessage();
         std::string toXML() const;
 
diff --git a/lib/preprocessor.cpp b/lib/preprocessor.cpp
index dfacad64c..09d45ae50 100644
--- a/lib/preprocessor.cpp
+++ b/lib/preprocessor.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void Preprocessor::writeError(const std::string &fileName, const int linenr, Err
     loc.file = fileName;
     locationList.push_back(loc);
     errorLogger->reportErr(ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage(locationList,
-                           "error",
+                           Severity::error,
                            errorText,
                            errorType));
 }
diff --git a/lib/tokenize.cpp b/lib/tokenize.cpp
index 2fb66ac58..fbb8eea11 100644
--- a/lib/tokenize.cpp
+++ b/lib/tokenize.cpp
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ void Tokenizer::duplicateTypedefError(const Token *tok1, const Token *tok2, cons
     locationList.push_back(loc);
 
     const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList,
-                                           "style",
+                                           Severity::style,
                                            std::string(type + " '" + tok2->str() +
                                                    "' hides typedef with same name"),
                                            "variableHidingTypedef");
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ void Tokenizer::duplicateDeclarationError(const Token *tok1, const Token *tok2,
     locationList.push_back(loc);
 
     const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList,
-                                           "style",
+                                           Severity::style,
                                            std::string(type + " '" + tok2->str() +
                                                    "' forward declaration unnecessary, already declared"),
                                            "unnecessaryForwardDeclaration");
@@ -2288,7 +2288,7 @@ void Tokenizer::simplifyTemplates()
                     locationList.push_back(loc);
 
                     const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList,
-                                                           "debug",
+                                                           Severity::debug,
                                                            "Failed to instantiate template. The checking continues anyway.",
                                                            "templateInstantiate");
 
@@ -6184,7 +6184,7 @@ void Tokenizer::duplicateEnumError(const Token * tok1, const Token * tok2, const
     locationList.push_back(loc);
 
     const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList,
-                                           "style",
+                                           Severity::style,
                                            std::string(type + " '" + tok2->str() +
                                                    "' hides enumerator with same name"),
                                            "variableHidingEnum");
@@ -6931,7 +6931,7 @@ void Tokenizer::syntaxError(const Token *tok, char c)
     }
 
     const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList,
-                                           "error",
+                                           Severity::error,
                                            std::string("Invalid number of character (") +
                                            c +
                                            ") " +
@@ -6974,7 +6974,7 @@ void Tokenizer::cppcheckError(const Token *tok) const
     }
 
     const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage errmsg(locationList,
-                                           "error",
+                                           Severity::error,
                                            "### Internal error in Cppcheck. Please report it.",
                                            "cppcheckError");