diff --git a/test/utils/test_PIDHandler.cpp b/test/utils/test_PIDHandler.cpp
index a9f138153..eed714dda 100644
--- a/test/utils/test_PIDHandler.cpp
+++ b/test/utils/test_PIDHandler.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ void checkHandlerValidReco(const edm4hep::utils::PIDHandler& handler, const edm4
 TEST_CASE("ParticleIDMeta constructor") {
   using namespace edm4hep::utils;
 
-  ParticleIDMeta pidMeta{"name", {}};
+  ParticleIDMeta pidMeta{"name"};
   REQUIRE(pidMeta.algoName == "name");
   REQUIRE(pidMeta.algoType() == -609270800); // 32 bit MurmurHash3 of "name"
 }
diff --git a/utils/include/edm4hep/utils/ParticleIDUtils.h b/utils/include/edm4hep/utils/ParticleIDUtils.h
index 59aaaa5ec..7bdf30646 100644
--- a/utils/include/edm4hep/utils/ParticleIDUtils.h
+++ b/utils/include/edm4hep/utils/ParticleIDUtils.h
@@ -40,13 +40,19 @@ struct ParticleIDMeta {
   ///                 There should be a parameter name for each parameter that
   ///                 is stored in the ParticleID parameters field
   ParticleIDMeta(const std::string& algName, int32_t algType, const std::vector<std::string>& parNames = {});
-  /// Main constructor for creating a ParticleIDMeta object
+
+  /// Main constructor for creating a ParticleIDMeta object without parameters
+  ///
+  /// @param algName  The name of the PID algorithm
+  ParticleIDMeta(const std::string& algName);
+
+  /// Main constructor for creating a ParticleIDMeta object with parameters
   ///
   /// @param algName  The name of the PID algorithm
   /// @param parNames The (optional) parameter names for this PID algorithms.
   ///                 There should be a parameter name for each parameter that
   ///                 is stored in the ParticleID parameters field
-  ParticleIDMeta(const std::string& algName, const std::vector<std::string>& parNames = {});
+  ParticleIDMeta(const std::string& algName, const std::vector<std::string>& parNames);
 
   ~ParticleIDMeta() = default;
   /// Default constructor
diff --git a/utils/src/ParticleIDUtils.cc b/utils/src/ParticleIDUtils.cc
index 2ec1b6952..78086b155 100644
--- a/utils/src/ParticleIDUtils.cc
+++ b/utils/src/ParticleIDUtils.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ ParticleIDMeta::ParticleIDMeta(const std::string& algName, const std::vector<std
     algoName(algName), paramNames(parNames), m_algoType(getAlgoID(algName)) {
 }
 
+ParticleIDMeta::ParticleIDMeta(const std::string& algName) : ParticleIDMeta(algName, std::vector<std::string>{}) {
+}
+
 std::optional<int> getParamIndex(const ParticleIDMeta& pidMetaInfo, const std::string& param) {
   const auto nameIt = std::ranges::find(pidMetaInfo.paramNames, param);
   if (nameIt != pidMetaInfo.paramNames.end()) {