diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh
index e3966c88..fff14302 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh
@@ -89,18 +89,34 @@ template <typename T> inline
 size_t size_of( const T& _v ) 
 { return binary< T >::size_of(_v); }
 
+template <typename T> inline
+size_t size_of( const std::vector<T> & _v, bool _store_size = true)
+{ return binary< std::vector<T> >::size_of(_v, _store_size); }
+
 template <typename T> inline
 size_t size_of(void) 
 { return binary< T >::size_of(); }
 
+template <typename T> inline
+size_t size_of(bool _store_size)
+{ return binary< std::vector<T> >::size_of(_store_size); }
+
 template <typename T> inline
 size_t store( std::ostream& _os, const T& _v, bool _swap=false)
 { return binary< T >::store( _os, _v, _swap ); }
 
+template <typename T> inline
+size_t store( std::ostream& _os, const std::vector<T>& _v, bool _swap=false, bool _store_size = true)
+{ return binary< std::vector<T> >::store( _os, _v, _swap, _store_size); }
+
 template <typename T> inline
 size_t restore( std::istream& _is, T& _v, bool _swap=false)
 { return binary< T >::restore( _is, _v, _swap ); }
 
+template <typename T> inline
+size_t restore( std::istream& _is, std::vector<T>& _v, bool _swap=false, bool _restore_size = true)
+{ return binary< std::vector<T> >::restore( _is, _v, _swap, _restore_size); }
+
 //@}
 
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh
index 2f2ec135..3629e540 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/Property.hh
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 
 #include <OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_store.hh>
+#include <iostream>
 
 
 //== NAMESPACES ===============================================================
@@ -149,21 +150,23 @@ public:
 
   virtual size_t store( std::ostream& _ostr, bool _swap ) const override
   {
-    if ( IO::is_streamable<vector_type>() )
-      return IO::store(_ostr, data_, _swap );
+    if (IO::is_streamable<vector_type>() && element_size() != IO::UnknownSize)
+      return IO::store(_ostr, data_, _swap, false);   //does not need to store its length
+
     size_t bytes = 0;
     for (size_t i=0; i<n_elements(); ++i)
-      bytes += IO::store( _ostr, data_[i], _swap );
+      bytes += IO::store( _ostr, data_[i], _swap);
     return bytes;
   }
 
   virtual size_t restore( std::istream& _istr, bool _swap ) override
   {
-    if ( IO::is_streamable<vector_type>() )
-      return IO::restore(_istr, data_, _swap );
+    if ( IO::is_streamable<vector_type>() && element_size() != IO::UnknownSize )
+    return IO::restore(_istr, data_, _swap, false);  //does not need to restore its length
+
     size_t bytes = 0;
     for (size_t i=0; i<n_elements(); ++i)
-      bytes += IO::restore( _istr, data_[i], _swap );
+      bytes += IO::restore( _istr, data_[i], _swap);
     return bytes;
   }