diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.cc
index b3d2d483..59d3c590 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.cc
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ const PolyConnectivity::FaceHandle      PolyConnectivity::InvalidFaceHandle;
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-PolyConnectivity::HalfedgeHandle
-PolyConnectivity::find_halfedge(VertexHandle _start_vh, VertexHandle _end_vh ) const
+SmartHalfedgeHandle PolyConnectivity::find_halfedge(VertexHandle _start_vh, VertexHandle _end_vh ) const
 {
   assert(_start_vh.is_valid() && _end_vh.is_valid());
 
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ PolyConnectivity::find_halfedge(VertexHandle _start_vh, VertexHandle _end_vh ) c
     if (to_vertex_handle(*voh_it) == _end_vh)
       return *voh_it;
 
-  return InvalidHalfedgeHandle;
+  return make_smart(InvalidHalfedgeHandle, this);
 }
 
 
@@ -99,6 +98,14 @@ bool PolyConnectivity::is_manifold(VertexHandle _vh) const
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+SmartFaceHandle PolyConnectivity::opposite_face_handle(HalfedgeHandle _heh) const
+{
+  return face_handle(make_smart(opposite_halfedge_handle(_heh), this));
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 void PolyConnectivity::adjust_outgoing_halfedge(VertexHandle _vh)
 {
   for (ConstVertexOHalfedgeIter vh_it=cvoh_iter(_vh); vh_it.is_valid(); ++vh_it)
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.hh
index 544ee6c6..d4d0736d 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyConnectivity.hh
@@ -611,7 +611,6 @@ public:
   inline SmartEdgeHandle edge_handle(SmartHalfedgeHandle _heh) const;
   inline SmartFaceHandle face_handle(SmartHalfedgeHandle _heh) const;
 
-
   //@}
   
   /** \name Begin and end iterators
@@ -1359,8 +1358,7 @@ public:
   // --- shortcuts ---
   
   /// returns the face handle of the opposite halfedge 
-  inline FaceHandle opposite_face_handle(HalfedgeHandle _heh) const
-  { return face_handle(opposite_halfedge_handle(_heh)); }
+  inline SmartFaceHandle opposite_face_handle(HalfedgeHandle _heh) const;
     
   // --- misc ---
 
@@ -1370,7 +1368,7 @@ public:
   void adjust_outgoing_halfedge(VertexHandle _vh);
 
   /// Find halfedge from _vh0 to _vh1. Returns invalid handle if not found.
-  HalfedgeHandle find_halfedge(VertexHandle _start_vh, VertexHandle _end_vh) const;
+  SmartHalfedgeHandle find_halfedge(VertexHandle _start_vh, VertexHandle _end_vh) const;
   /// Vertex valence
   uint valence(VertexHandle _vh) const;
   /// Face valence