diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
index 46191d0a..a2f0d3e6 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
 
 #include <OpenMesh/Core/System/config.h>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <cmath>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -300,6 +301,8 @@ typedef VectorT<unsigned int,3> Vec3ui;
 typedef VectorT<float,3> Vec3f;
 /** 3-double vector */
 typedef VectorT<double,3> Vec3d;
+/** 3-bool vector */
+typedef VectorT<bool,3> Vec3b;
 
 /** 4-byte signed vector */
 typedef VectorT<signed char,4> Vec4c;
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT_inc.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT_inc.hh
index 782e7da0..6bf9c732 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT_inc.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT_inc.hh
@@ -458,12 +458,12 @@ public:
   {
 #if DIM==N
     Scalar s(0);
-#define expr(i) s += abs(Base::values_[i]);
+#define expr(i) s += std::abs(Base::values_[i]);
     unroll(expr);
 #undef expr
     return s;
 #else
-#define expr(i) abs(Base::values_[i])
+#define expr(i) std::abs(Base::values_[i])
     return (unroll_comb(expr, +));
 #undef expr
 #endif
@@ -493,10 +493,10 @@ public:
   /// return the maximal absolute component
   inline Scalar max_abs() const
   {
-    Scalar m(abs(Base::values_[0]));
+    Scalar m(std::abs(Base::values_[0]));
     for(int i=1; i<DIM; ++i) 
-      if(abs(Base::values_[i])>m)
-        m=abs(Base::values_[i]);
+      if(std::abs(Base::values_[i])>m)
+        m=std::abs(Base::values_[i]);
     return m;
   }
 
@@ -512,10 +512,10 @@ public:
   /// return the minimal absolute component
   inline Scalar min_abs() const 
   {
-    Scalar m(abs(Base::values_[0]));
+    Scalar m(std::abs(Base::values_[0]));
     for(int i=1; i<DIM; ++i) 
-      if(abs(Base::values_[i])<m)
-        m=abs(Base::values_[i]);
+      if(std::abs(Base::values_[i])<m)
+        m=std::abs(Base::values_[i]);
     return m;
   }
 
@@ -528,8 +528,8 @@ public:
 
   /// return absolute arithmetic mean
   inline Scalar mean_abs() const {
-    Scalar m(abs(Base::values_[0]));
-    for(int i=1; i<DIM; ++i) m+=abs(Base::values_[i]);
+    Scalar m(std::abs(Base::values_[0]));
+    for(int i=1; i<DIM; ++i) m+=std::abs(Base::values_[i]);
     return m/Scalar(DIM);
   }