diff --git a/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.cc b/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.cc
index d2118075606d9fd2d68abb4412e4705035ccb4cd..98833caba4bc8f3d0455e103ad6a944fda5d4fe6 100644
--- a/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.cc
+++ b/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.cc
@@ -325,12 +325,6 @@ IntMV::new_range(MacroDriver &driver, const MacroValue *mv1, const MacroValue *m
   int v2 = mv2i->value;
 
   vector<int> result;
-  if (v2 < v1)
-    {
-      int x = v2;
-      v2 = v1;
-      v1 = x;
-    }
   for (; v1 <= v2; v1++)
     result.push_back(v1);
   return new ArrayMV<int>(driver, result);
diff --git a/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.hh b/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.hh
index 52b566f4c4f7f3cd0fc40c86327268a141c0a49e..e379a602628c104757a544fd2edae9f379a33b7d 100644
--- a/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.hh
+++ b/preprocessor/macro/MacroValue.hh
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public:
   //! Creates a integer range
   /*! Arguments must be of type IntMV.
     Returns an integer array containing all integers between mv1 and mv2.
-    If mv2 < mv1, constructs the range in decreasing order.
+    If mv2 < mv1, returns an empty range (for consistency with MATLAB).
   */
   static const MacroValue *new_range(MacroDriver &driver, const MacroValue *mv1, const MacroValue *mv2) throw (TypeError);
 };