diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh
index 6f221931..14fafc0a 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/OMFormat.hh
@@ -384,17 +384,6 @@ namespace OMFormat {
   // calc minimum (power-of-2) number of bits needed
   Chunk::Integer_Size needed_bits( size_t s );
 
-
-  // Return the storage type (Chunk::Header::bits_)
-  template <typename T>
-  inline
-  unsigned int bits(const T& val)
-  {
-    return is_integer(val)
-      ? (static_cast<unsigned int>(integer_size(val)))
-      : (static_cast<unsigned int>(float_size(val)));
-  }
-
   // Convert size of type to Integer_Size
 #ifdef NDEBUG
   template <typename T> Chunk::Integer_Size integer_size(const T&)
@@ -433,6 +422,16 @@ namespace OMFormat {
     return Chunk::Float_Size(0);
   }
 
+  // Return the storage type (Chunk::Header::bits_)
+  template <typename T>
+  inline
+  unsigned int bits(const T& val)
+  {
+    return is_integer(val)
+      ? (static_cast<unsigned int>(integer_size(val)))
+      : (static_cast<unsigned int>(float_size(val)));
+  }
+
   // -------------------- create/read version
 
   inline uint8 mk_version(const uint16 major, const uint16 minor)
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_rbo.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_rbo.hh
index abef7a21..a7ae9e36 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_rbo.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_rbo.hh
@@ -87,12 +87,7 @@ namespace IO {
 function body which will result in a linker error */
 
 template < size_t N > inline
-void _reverse_byte_order_N(uint8_t* _val)
-{
-  assert_compile(false);
-//   compile_time_error__only_for_fundamental_types(_val);
-}
-
+void _reverse_byte_order_N(uint8_t* _val);
 
 template <> inline
 void _reverse_byte_order_N<1>(uint8_t* /*_val*/) { }
@@ -150,15 +145,11 @@ void _reverse_byte_order_N<16>(uint8_t* _val)
 // reverting pointers makes no sense, hence forbid it.
 /** this does not compile for g++3.4 and higher, hence we comment the
 function body which will result in a linker error */
-template <typename T> inline T* reverse_byte_order(T* t)
-{
-  // Should never reach this point. If so, then some operator were not
-  // overloaded. Especially check for IO::binary<> specialization on
-  // custom data types.
-//   compile_time_error__cannot_do_that(a);
-  assert_compile(false);
-  return t;
-}
+template <typename T> inline T* reverse_byte_order(T* t);
+// Should never reach this point. If so, then some operator were not
+// overloaded. Especially check for IO::binary<> specialization on
+// custom data types.
+
 
 inline void compile_time_error__no_fundamental_type()
 {