diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.c b/src/obidmscolumn.c
index 6bd47b5..8168276 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.c
@@ -117,6 +117,23 @@ static obiversion_t obi_get_new_version_number(OBIDMS_column_directory_p column_
 static obiversion_t create_version_file(OBIDMS_column_directory_p column_directory);
 
 
+/**
+ * @brief Internal function building the default elements names of the lines of a
+ *        column (i.e. "0;1;2;...;n").
+ *
+ * @warning The returned pointer has to be freed by the caller.
+ *
+ * @param nb_elements_per_line The number of elements per line in the column.
+ *
+ * @returns A pointer on the elements names.
+ * @retval NULL if an error occurred.
+ *
+ * @since December 2016
+ * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
+ */
+static char* build_default_elements_names(index_t nb_elements_per_line)
+
+
 /**
  * @brief Internal function setting the elements names of the lines of a
  *        column in the header of the OBIDMS column structure.
@@ -420,6 +437,36 @@ static obiversion_t create_version_file(OBIDMS_column_directory_p column_directo
 }
 
 
+static char* build_default_elements_names(index_t nb_elements_per_line)
+{
+	char* elements_names;
+	int   i;
+
+	elements_names = (char*) malloc(ELEMENTS_NAMES_MAX * sizeof(char));
+	if (elements_names == NULL)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBI_MALLOC_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError allocating memory for elements names");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (nb_elements_per_line > NB_ELTS_MAX_IF_DEFAULT_NAME)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError: too many elements per line to use the default names (max = %d elements)", NB_ELTS_MAX_IF_DEFAULT_NAME);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	for (i= 0; i < nb_elements_per_line; i++)
+		sprintf(elements_names, "%d", i);
+
+	// Terminal character
+	elements_names[strlen(elements_names)] = '\0';
+
+	return elements_names;
+}
+
+
 int obi_column_set_elements_names(OBIDMS_column_p column, const char* elements_names)
 {
 	if (strlen(elements_names) > ELEMENTS_NAMES_MAX)
@@ -551,37 +598,6 @@ size_t obi_get_platform_header_size()
 }
 
 
-// TODO
-char* build_default_elements_names(index_t nb_elements_per_line)
-{
-	char* elements_names;
-	int   i;
-
-	elements_names = (char*) malloc(ELEMENTS_NAMES_MAX * sizeof(char));
-	if (elements_names == NULL)
-	{
-		obi_set_errno(OBI_MALLOC_ERROR);
-		obidebug(1, "\nError allocating memory for elements names");
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	if (nb_elements_per_line > NB_ELTS_MAX_IF_DEFAULT_NAME)
-	{
-		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
-		obidebug(1, "\nError: too many elements per line to use the default names (max = %d elements)", NB_ELTS_MAX_IF_DEFAULT_NAME);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	for (i= 0; i < nb_elements_per_line; i++)
-		sprintf(elements_names, "%d", i);
-
-	// Terminal character
-	elements_names[strlen(elements_names)] = '\0';
-
-	return elements_names;
-}
-
-
 OBIDMS_column_p obi_create_column(OBIDMS_p     dms,
 		                          const char*  column_name,
 								  OBIType_t    data_type,
@@ -802,6 +818,10 @@ OBIDMS_column_p obi_create_column(OBIDMS_p     dms,
 
 	obi_column_set_elements_names(new_column, elements_names);
 
+	// Free the element names if they were built
+	if ((elements_names == NULL) || (strcmp(elements_names, "") == 0))
+		free(elements_names);
+
 	strncpy(header->name, column_name, OBIDMS_COLUMN_MAX_NAME);
 
 	if (comments != NULL)