diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary.hh
index 2d17b317..0dfcc09b 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary.hh
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ namespace IO {
 /// - std::vector<T> (requires a specialization for T)
 ///
 /// \todo Complete documentation of members
-template < typename T > struct binary
+template < typename T, typename = void > struct binary
 {
   typedef T     value_type;
 
@@ -116,15 +116,17 @@ template < typename T > struct binary
   /// Store a value of T and return the number of bytes written
   static 
   size_t store( std::ostream& /* _os */,
-		const value_type& /* _v */,
-		bool /* _swap=false */)
+                const value_type& /* _v */,
+                bool /* _swap */ = false ,
+                bool /* store_size */ = true ) // for vectors
   { X; return 0; }
 
   /// Restore a value of T and return the number of bytes read
   static 
   size_t restore( std::istream& /* _is */,
-		  value_type& /* _v */,
-		  bool /* _swap=false */)
+                  value_type& /* _v */,
+                  bool /* _swap */ = false ,
+                  bool /* store_size */ = true ) // for vectors
   { X; return 0; }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary_spec.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary_spec.hh
index 9cc2b49e..21242e4d 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary_spec.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/SR_binary_spec.hh
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ struct FunctorRestore {
 };
 
 template <typename T>
-struct binary< std::vector< T > > {
+struct binary< std::vector< T >, typename std::enable_if<std::is_default_constructible<T>::value>::type > {
   typedef std::vector< T >       value_type;
   typedef typename value_type::value_type elem_type;
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh
index fff14302..f2891e7b 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/StoreRestore.hh
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ 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)
+size_t store( std::ostream& _os, const T& _v, bool _swap  =false)
 { return binary< T >::store( _os, _v, _swap ); }
 
 template <typename T> inline
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ size_t store( std::ostream& _os, const std::vector<T>& _v, bool _swap=false, boo
 { 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)
+size_t restore( std::istream& _is, T& _v, bool _swap = false)
 { return binary< T >::restore( _is, _v, _swap ); }
 
 template <typename T> inline