diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/OMReader.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/OMReader.cc
index 41a4b3a9..3917fb09 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/OMReader.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/OMReader.cc
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ bool _OMReader_::read_binary_vertex_chunk(std::istream &_is, BaseImporter &_bi,
   assert( chunk_header_.entity_ == Chunk::Entity_Vertex);
 
   OpenMesh::Vec3f v3f;
+  OpenMesh::Vec3d v3d;
   OpenMesh::Vec2f v2f;
   OpenMesh::Vec3uc v3uc; // rgb
   OpenMesh::Attributes::StatusInfo status;
@@ -306,22 +307,53 @@ bool _OMReader_::read_binary_vertex_chunk(std::istream &_is, BaseImporter &_bi,
   size_t vidx = 0;
   switch (chunk_header_.type_) {
     case Chunk::Type_Pos:
-      assert( OMFormat::dimensions(chunk_header_) == size_t(OpenMesh::Vec3f::dim()));
+      if (chunk_header_.bits_ == OMFormat::bits(0.0f)) // read floats
+      {
+        assert( OMFormat::dimensions(chunk_header_) == size_t(OpenMesh::Vec3f::dim()));
 
-      for (; vidx < header_.n_vertices_ && !_is.eof(); ++vidx) {
-        bytes_ += vector_restore(_is, v3f, _swap);
-        _bi.add_vertex(v3f);
+        for (; vidx < header_.n_vertices_ && !_is.eof(); ++vidx) {
+          bytes_ += vector_restore(_is, v3f, _swap);
+          _bi.add_vertex(v3f);
+        }
+      }
+      else if (chunk_header_.bits_ == OMFormat::bits(0.0)) // read doubles
+      {
+        assert( OMFormat::dimensions(chunk_header_) == size_t(OpenMesh::Vec3d::dim()));
+
+        for (; vidx < header_.n_vertices_ && !_is.eof(); ++vidx) {
+          bytes_ += vector_restore(_is, v3d, _swap);
+          _bi.add_vertex(v3d);
+        }
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        omerr() << "unknown Vector size" << std::endl;
       }
       break;
 
     case Chunk::Type_Normal:
-      assert( OMFormat::dimensions(chunk_header_) == size_t(OpenMesh::Vec3f::dim()));
 
-      fileOptions_ += Options::VertexNormal;
-      for (; vidx < header_.n_vertices_ && !_is.eof(); ++vidx) {
-        bytes_ += vector_restore(_is, v3f, _swap);
-        if (fileOptions_.vertex_has_normal() && _opt.vertex_has_normal())
-          _bi.set_normal(VertexHandle(int(vidx)), v3f);
+      if (chunk_header_.bits_ == OMFormat::bits(0.0f)) // read floats
+      {
+        assert( OMFormat::dimensions(chunk_header_) == size_t(OpenMesh::Vec3f::dim()));
+
+        fileOptions_ += Options::VertexNormal;
+        for (; vidx < header_.n_vertices_ && !_is.eof(); ++vidx) {
+          bytes_ += vector_restore(_is, v3f, _swap);
+          if (fileOptions_.vertex_has_normal() && _opt.vertex_has_normal())
+            _bi.set_normal(VertexHandle(int(vidx)), v3f);
+        }
+      }
+      else if (chunk_header_.bits_ == OMFormat::bits(0.0)) // read doubles
+      {
+        assert( OMFormat::dimensions(chunk_header_) == size_t(OpenMesh::Vec3d::dim()));
+
+        fileOptions_ += Options::VertexNormal;
+        for (; vidx < header_.n_vertices_ && !_is.eof(); ++vidx) {
+          bytes_ += vector_restore(_is, v3d, _swap);
+          if (fileOptions_.vertex_has_normal() && _opt.vertex_has_normal())
+            _bi.set_normal(VertexHandle(int(vidx)), v3d);
+        }
       }
       break;
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc
index c7a601d6..22fbc755 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/OMWriter.cc
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ _OMWriter_& OMWriter() { return __OMWriterInstance; }
 
 
 const OMFormat::uchar _OMWriter_::magic_[3] = "OM";
-const OMFormat::uint8 _OMWriter_::version_  = OMFormat::mk_version(2,0);
+const OMFormat::uint8 _OMWriter_::version_  = OMFormat::mk_version(2,1);
 
 
 _OMWriter_::
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ bool _OMWriter_::write_binary(std::ostream& _os, BaseExporter& _be,
 
   unsigned int i, nV, nF;
   Vec3f v;
+  Vec3d vd;
   Vec2f t;
 
   // -------------------- write header
@@ -211,14 +212,28 @@ bool _OMWriter_::write_binary(std::ostream& _os, BaseExporter& _be,
     chunk_header.name_     = false;
     chunk_header.entity_   = OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Vertex;
     chunk_header.type_     = OMFormat::Chunk::Type_Pos;
-    chunk_header.signed_   = OMFormat::is_signed(v[0]);
-    chunk_header.float_    = OMFormat::is_float(v[0]);
-    chunk_header.dim_      = OMFormat::dim(v);
-    chunk_header.bits_     = OMFormat::bits(v[0]);
+    if (_be.is_point_double())
+    {
+      chunk_header.signed_   = OMFormat::is_signed(vd[0]);
+      chunk_header.float_    = OMFormat::is_float(vd[0]);
+      chunk_header.dim_      = OMFormat::dim(vd);
+      chunk_header.bits_     = OMFormat::bits(vd[0]);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      chunk_header.signed_   = OMFormat::is_signed(v[0]);
+      chunk_header.float_    = OMFormat::is_float(v[0]);
+      chunk_header.dim_      = OMFormat::dim(v);
+      chunk_header.bits_     = OMFormat::bits(v[0]);
+    }
 
     bytes += store( _os, chunk_header, swap );
-    for (i=0, nV=header.n_vertices_; i<nV; ++i)
-      bytes += vector_store( _os, _be.point(VertexHandle(i)), swap );
+    if (_be.is_point_double())
+      for (i=0, nV=header.n_vertices_; i<nV; ++i)
+        bytes += vector_store( _os, _be.pointd(VertexHandle(i)), swap );
+    else
+      for (i=0, nV=header.n_vertices_; i<nV; ++i)
+        bytes += vector_store( _os, _be.point(VertexHandle(i)), swap );
   }
 
 
@@ -226,18 +241,34 @@ bool _OMWriter_::write_binary(std::ostream& _os, BaseExporter& _be,
   if (_be.n_vertices() && _opt.check( Options::VertexNormal ))
   {
     Vec3f n = _be.normal(VertexHandle(0));
+    Vec3d nd = _be.normald(VertexHandle(0));
 
     chunk_header.name_     = false;
     chunk_header.entity_   = OMFormat::Chunk::Entity_Vertex;
     chunk_header.type_     = OMFormat::Chunk::Type_Normal;
-    chunk_header.signed_   = OMFormat::is_signed(n[0]);
-    chunk_header.float_    = OMFormat::is_float(n[0]);
-    chunk_header.dim_      = OMFormat::dim(n);
-    chunk_header.bits_     = OMFormat::bits(n[0]);
+    if (_be.is_normal_double())
+    {
+      chunk_header.signed_   = OMFormat::is_signed(nd[0]);
+      chunk_header.float_    = OMFormat::is_float(nd[0]);
+      chunk_header.dim_      = OMFormat::dim(nd);
+      chunk_header.bits_     = OMFormat::bits(nd[0]);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      chunk_header.signed_   = OMFormat::is_signed(n[0]);
+      chunk_header.float_    = OMFormat::is_float(n[0]);
+      chunk_header.dim_      = OMFormat::dim(n);
+      chunk_header.bits_     = OMFormat::bits(n[0]);
+    }
 
     bytes += store( _os, chunk_header, swap );
-    for (i=0, nV=header.n_vertices_; i<nV; ++i)
-      bytes += vector_store( _os, _be.normal(VertexHandle(i)), swap );
+    if (_be.is_normal_double())
+      for (i=0, nV=header.n_vertices_; i<nV; ++i)
+        bytes += vector_store( _os, _be.normald(VertexHandle(i)), swap );
+    else
+      for (i=0, nV=header.n_vertices_; i<nV; ++i)
+        bytes += vector_store( _os, _be.normal(VertexHandle(i)), swap );
+
   }
 
   // ---------- write vertex color