diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/PLYReader.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/PLYReader.cc
index d92c7cde..cd089f53 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/PLYReader.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/reader/PLYReader.cc
@@ -326,12 +326,12 @@ bool _PLYReader_::read_binary(std::istream& _in, BaseImporter& _bi, bool /*_swap
 
     unsigned int i, j, k, l, idx;
     unsigned int nV;
-    OpenMesh::Vec3f v, n;  // Vertex
-    OpenMesh::Vec2f t;  // TexCoords
+    OpenMesh::Vec3f        v, n;  // Vertex
+    OpenMesh::Vec2f        t;  // TexCoords
     BaseImporter::VHandles vhandles;
-    VertexHandle vh;
-    OpenMesh::Vec4i c;  // Color
-    float tmp;
+    VertexHandle           vh;
+    OpenMesh::Vec4i        c;  // Color
+    float                  tmp;
 
     _bi.reserve(vertexCount_, 3* vertexCount_ , faceCount_);
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/PLYWriter.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/PLYWriter.cc
index 8c430cea..4e4563ed 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/PLYWriter.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/writer/PLYWriter.cc
@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ write_ascii(std::ostream& _out, BaseExporter& _be, Options _opt) const
   _out << "property float32 y" << std::endl;
   _out << "property float32 z" << std::endl;
 
+  if ( _opt.vertex_has_normal() ){
+    _out << "property float32 nx" << std::endl;
+    _out << "property float32 ny" << std::endl;
+    _out << "property float32 nz" << std::endl;
+  }
+
   if ( _opt.vertex_has_texcoord() ){
     _out << "property float32 u" << std::endl;
     _out << "property float32 v" << std::endl;
@@ -214,6 +220,12 @@ write_ascii(std::ostream& _out, BaseExporter& _be, Options _opt) const
     //Vertex
     _out << v[0] << " " << v[1] << " " << v[2];
 
+    // Vertex Normals
+    if ( _opt.vertex_has_normal() ){
+      n = _be.normal(vh);
+      _out << " " << n[0] << " " << n[1] << " " << n[2];
+    }
+
     // Vertex TexCoords
     if ( _opt.vertex_has_texcoord() ) {
     	t = _be.texcoord(vh);
@@ -384,6 +396,12 @@ write_binary(std::ostream& _out, BaseExporter& _be, Options _opt) const
   _out << "property float32 x" << std::endl;
   _out << "property float32 y" << std::endl;
   _out << "property float32 z" << std::endl;
+  
+  if ( _opt.vertex_has_normal() ){
+    _out << "property float32 nx" << std::endl;
+    _out << "property float32 ny" << std::endl;
+    _out << "property float32 nz" << std::endl;
+  }
 
   if ( _opt.vertex_has_texcoord() ){
     _out << "property float32 u" << std::endl;
@@ -414,6 +432,14 @@ write_binary(std::ostream& _out, BaseExporter& _be, Options _opt) const
     writeValue(ValueTypeFLOAT, _out, v[1]);
     writeValue(ValueTypeFLOAT, _out, v[2]);
 
+    // Vertex Normal
+    if ( _opt.vertex_has_normal() ){
+      n = _be.normal(vh);
+      writeValue(ValueTypeFLOAT, _out, n[0]);
+      writeValue(ValueTypeFLOAT, _out, n[1]);
+      writeValue(ValueTypeFLOAT, _out, n[2]);
+    }
+
     // Vertex TexCoords
     if ( _opt.vertex_has_texcoord() ) {
     	t = _be.texcoord(vh);