diff --git a/Doc/changelog.docu b/Doc/changelog.docu
index afd88541..cc179a95 100644
--- a/Doc/changelog.docu
+++ b/Doc/changelog.docu
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 <ul>
 <li>legacy vector min max now take const args to avoid matching std implementations</li>
 <li>Fixed several warnings</li>
+<li>Make Previous Halfedge Attribute optional again </li>
 </ul>
 
 <b>Tools</b>
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayItems.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayItems.hh
index 503fc735..1d1488cd 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayItems.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayItems.hh
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ struct ArrayItems
 
   //TODO: should be selected with config.h define
   typedef Halfedge_with_prev                Halfedge;
+  typedef Halfedge_without_prev             HalfedgeNoPrev;
   typedef GenProg::Bool2Type<true>          HasPrevHalfedge;
 
   //-------------------------------------------------------- internal edge type
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/AttribKernelT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/AttribKernelT.hh
index 6e67bc2b..10a46c08 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/AttribKernelT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/AttribKernelT.hh
@@ -75,10 +75,30 @@ public:
 
   //---------------------------------------------------------------- item types
 
+  enum Attribs  {
+    VAttribs = MeshItems::VAttribs,
+    HAttribs = MeshItems::HAttribs,
+    EAttribs = MeshItems::EAttribs,
+    FAttribs = MeshItems::FAttribs
+  };
+
   typedef MeshItems MeshItemsT;
   typedef Connectivity ConnectivityT;
   typedef typename Connectivity::Vertex     Vertex;
-  typedef typename Connectivity::Halfedge   Halfedge;
+
+  //Define Halfedge based on PrevHalfedge.
+  typedef typename GenProg::IF<
+    (bool)(HAttribs & Attributes::PrevHalfedge),
+    typename Connectivity::Halfedge,
+    typename Connectivity::HalfedgeNoPrev
+  >::Result   Halfedge;
+  typedef typename GenProg::IF<
+    (bool)(HAttribs & Attributes::PrevHalfedge),
+    GenProg::Bool2Type<true>,
+    GenProg::Bool2Type<false>         
+  >::Result   HasPrevHalfedge;
+  
+  //typedef typename Connectivity::Halfedge   Halfedge;
   typedef typename Connectivity::Edge       Edge;
   typedef typename Connectivity::Face       Face;
 
@@ -98,12 +118,6 @@ public:
 
   typedef AttribKernelT<MeshItems,Connectivity>  AttribKernel;
 
-  enum Attribs  {
-    VAttribs = MeshItems::VAttribs,
-    HAttribs = MeshItems::HAttribs,
-    EAttribs = MeshItems::EAttribs,
-    FAttribs = MeshItems::FAttribs
-  };
 
   typedef VPropHandleT<VertexData>          DataVPropHandle;
   typedef HPropHandleT<HalfedgeData>        DataHPropHandle;
diff --git a/src/Unittests/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Unittests/CMakeLists.txt
index 133fd41c..8b82a407 100644
--- a/src/Unittests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Unittests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ unittests_stripifier.cc
 unittests_subdivider_adaptive.cc
 unittests_subdivider_uniform.cc
 unittests_trimesh_circulator_current_halfedge_handle_replacement.cc
+unittests_traits.cc
 unittests_trimesh_circulator_face_edge.cc
 unittests_trimesh_circulator_face_face.cc
 unittests_trimesh_circulator_face_halfedge.cc
diff --git a/src/Unittests/unittests_traits.cc b/src/Unittests/unittests_traits.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6d5a0c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Unittests/unittests_traits.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <Unittests/unittests_common.hh>
+#include <iostream>
+
+namespace {
+    
+class OpenMeshPrevHalfedge : public OpenMeshBase {
+
+    protected:
+
+        // This function is called before each test is run
+        virtual void SetUp() {
+            
+            // Do some initial stuff with the member data here...
+        }
+
+        // This function is called after all tests are through
+        virtual void TearDown() {
+
+            // Do some final stuff with the member data here...
+        }
+
+    // Member already defined in OpenMeshBase
+    //Mesh mesh_;  
+};
+
+/*
+ * ====================================================================
+ * Define tests below
+ * ====================================================================
+ */
+
+/* creates a Halfedge WITHOUT the PrevHalfedge Attribute
+ */
+TEST_F(OpenMeshPrevHalfedge, RemovePrevHalfedge) {
+
+    mesh_.clear();
+
+    struct MeshTraits : OpenMesh::DefaultTraits {
+        HalfedgeAttributes(0);
+    };
+    using MeshT = OpenMesh::TriMesh_ArrayKernelT<MeshTraits>;
+
+
+    // Check if Prev Halfedge is referenced
+    EXPECT_EQ(12u, sizeof(MeshT::Halfedge) ) << "Wrong size of Halfedge";
+    EXPECT_EQ(0u, MeshT::HasPrevHalfedge::my_bool )    << "Attribute HasPrevHalfedge is wrong";
+}
+
+/* creates a Halfedge WITH the PrevHalfedge Attribute
+ */
+TEST_F(OpenMeshPrevHalfedge, HavePrevHalfedge) {
+
+    mesh_.clear();
+
+    struct MeshTraits : OpenMesh::DefaultTraits {
+        //HalfedgeAttributes(0);
+    };
+    using MeshT = OpenMesh::TriMesh_ArrayKernelT<MeshTraits>;
+
+
+    // Check if Prev Halfedge is referenced
+    EXPECT_EQ(16u, sizeof(MeshT::Halfedge) ) << "Wrong size of Halfedge";
+    EXPECT_EQ(1u, MeshT::HasPrevHalfedge::my_bool )    << "Attribute HasPrevHalfedge is wrong";
+}
+
+}