diff --git a/src/IO.f90 b/src/IO.f90
index 6348c1c92..764d3a4c4 100644
--- a/src/IO.f90
+++ b/src/IO.f90
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ implicit none(type,external)
     IO_init, &
     IO_selfTest, &
     IO_read, &
-    IO_readlines, &
     IO_wrapLines, &
     IO_strPos, &
     IO_strValue, &
@@ -63,53 +62,6 @@ subroutine IO_init()
 end subroutine IO_init
 
 
-!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-!> @brief Read ASCII file and split at EOL.
-!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-function IO_readlines(fileName) result(fileContent)
-
-  character(len=*),       intent(in)                :: fileName
-  character(len=pSTRLEN), dimension(:), allocatable :: fileContent                                  !< file content, separated per lines
-
-  character(len=pSTRLEN)                            :: line
-  character(len=:),                     allocatable :: rawData
-  integer ::  &
-    startPos, endPos, &
-    N_lines, &                                                                                      !< # lines in file
-    l
-  logical :: warned
-
-
-  rawData = IO_read(fileName)
-
-  N_lines = count([(rawData(l:l) == IO_EOL,l=1,len(rawData))])
-  allocate(fileContent(N_lines))
-
-!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-! split raw data at end of line
-  warned = .false.
-  startPos = 1
-  l = 1
-  do while (l <= N_lines)
-    endPos = startPos + scan(rawData(startPos:),IO_EOL) - 2
-    if (endPos - startPos > pSTRLEN-1) then
-      line = rawData(startPos:startPos+pSTRLEN-1)
-      if (.not. warned) then
-        call IO_warning(207,trim(fileName),label1='line',ID1=l)
-        warned = .true.
-      end if
-    else
-      line = rawData(startPos:endpos)
-    end if
-    startPos = endPos + 2                                                                           ! jump to next line start
-
-    fileContent(l) = trim(line)//''
-    l = l + 1
-  end do
-
-end function IO_readlines
-
-
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 !> @brief Read ASCII file.
 !> @details Proper Unix style (LF line endings and LF at EOF) is ensured.
diff --git a/src/Marc/discretization_Marc.f90 b/src/Marc/discretization_Marc.f90
index 5e42180de..aa7d9b000 100644
--- a/src/Marc/discretization_Marc.f90
+++ b/src/Marc/discretization_Marc.f90
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ subroutine inputRead(elem,node0_elem,connectivity_elem,materialAt)
                                    'MSC.Marc input deck')
   call result_closeJobFile()
 
-  inputFile = IO_readlines(trim(getSolverJobName())//InputFileExtension)
+  inputFile = readlines(trim(getSolverJobName())//InputFileExtension)
   call inputRead_fileFormat(fileFormatVersion, &
                             inputFile)
   call inputRead_tableStyles(initialcondTableStyle,hypoelasticTableStyle, &
@@ -249,6 +249,54 @@ subroutine inputRead(elem,node0_elem,connectivity_elem,materialAt)
   call inputRead_material(materialAt, &
                           nElems,elem%nNodes,nameElemSet,mapElemSet,&
                           initialcondTableStyle,inputFile)
+
+contains
+!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+!> @brief Read ASCII file and split at EOL.
+!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+function readlines(fileName) result(fileContent)
+
+  character(len=*),       intent(in)                :: fileName
+  character(len=pSTRLEN), dimension(:), allocatable :: fileContent                                  !< file content, separated per lines
+
+  character(len=pSTRLEN)                            :: line
+  character(len=:),                     allocatable :: rawData
+  integer ::  &
+    startPos, endPos, &
+    N_lines, &                                                                                      !< # lines in file
+    l
+  logical :: warned
+
+
+  rawData = IO_read(fileName)
+
+  N_lines = count([(rawData(l:l) == IO_EOL,l=1,len(rawData))])
+  allocate(fileContent(N_lines))
+
+!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+! split raw data at end of line
+  warned = .false.
+  startPos = 1
+  l = 1
+  do while (l <= N_lines)
+    endPos = startPos + scan(rawData(startPos:),IO_EOL) - 2
+    if (endPos - startPos > pSTRLEN-1) then
+      line = rawData(startPos:startPos+pSTRLEN-1)
+      if (.not. warned) then
+        call IO_warning(207,trim(fileName),label1='line',ID1=l)
+        warned = .true.
+      end if
+    else
+      line = rawData(startPos:endpos)
+    end if
+    startPos = endPos + 2                                                                           ! jump to next line start
+
+    fileContent(l) = trim(line)//''
+    l = l + 1
+  end do
+
+end function readlines
+
 end subroutine inputRead
 
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_IO.f90 b/src/test/test_IO.f90
index 0ec2495a0..6e260afa2 100644
--- a/src/test/test_IO.f90
+++ b/src/test/test_IO.f90
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@ subroutine test_IO_run()
 
   str_out = IO_read(fname)
   if (rnd_str//IO_EOL /= str_out) error stop 'IO_read'
-  strarray_out = IO_readlines(fname)
-  if (rnd_str /= strarray_out(1)) error stop 'IO_readlines'
 
 end subroutine test_IO_run