diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f98a087..16b2c14 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -45,12 +45,14 @@ m4/lt~obsolete.m4
 .libs
 .deps
 *.fits~
-*.cpp~ 
+*.cpp~
 *.hpp~
 *.i~
 *.xml~
 *.ac~
 *.am~
+ChangeLog~
+NEWS~
 *.plist
 clang_output_*
 .gitignore~
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 9872b83..a7cabc8 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-2017-03-16
+2017-03-17
 
         * Version 1.3.0 released
         =========================
 
+        Do no longer interpret a CTA calibration database as file path (#1969)
         GWcs now supports CD keywords instead of CDELT (#1951)
         Correct GCTAPsf2D containment radius computation (#1876)
         Add GLS and SFL WCS projections (#1851)
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index a412bbc..24e6cef 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 New Features and Important Changes in GammaLib 1.3.0
 
-16 March 2017
+17 March 2017
 
 
 1. Introduction
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ None
 -----------------
 Correct the containment radius computation in GCTAPsf2D (#1876).
 
+Do no longer interpret a CTA calibration database as a file path in the
+GCTAResponseIrf::read() method (#1969).
+
 
 21. COMPTEL interface
 ---------------------
diff --git a/inst/cta/src/GCTAResponseIrf.cpp b/inst/cta/src/GCTAResponseIrf.cpp
index 2d29884..865f2e4 100644
--- a/inst/cta/src/GCTAResponseIrf.cpp
+++ b/inst/cta/src/GCTAResponseIrf.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /***************************************************************************
  *       GCTAResponseIrf.cpp - CTA instrument response function class      *
  * ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *
- *  copyright (C) 2010-2016 by Juergen Knoedlseder                         *
+ *  copyright (C) 2010-2017 by Juergen Knoedlseder                         *
  * ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *
  *                                                                         *
  *  This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify   *
@@ -728,13 +728,7 @@ void GCTAResponseIrf::read(const GXmlElement& xml)
         std::string xml_rspname = gammalib::strip_whitespace(par->attribute("response"));
 
         // Set calibration database
-        GCaldb caldb;
-        if (gammalib::dir_exists(xml_caldb)) {
-            caldb.rootdir(xml_caldb);
-        }
-        else {
-            caldb.open("cta", xml_caldb);
-        }
+        GCaldb caldb("cta", xml_caldb);
         this->caldb(caldb);
 
         // Load response