diff --git a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Polyhedron_demo_stl_plugin.cpp b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Polyhedron_demo_stl_plugin.cpp
index 56ac315d295..47bb30f5f81 100644
--- a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Polyhedron_demo_stl_plugin.cpp
+++ b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Polyhedron_demo_stl_plugin.cpp
@@ -66,18 +66,7 @@ Polyhedron_demo_stl_plugin::load(QFileInfo fileinfo) {
   }  
 
   Scene_polyhedron_item* item = new Scene_polyhedron_item(P);
-  if(builder.name.size() == 0){
-    item->setName(fileinfo.baseName());
-  } else {
-    item->setName(builder.name.c_str());
-  }
-  QColor color(builder.color.c_str());
-  if(color.isValid()) 
-  {  
-    item->setColor(color);
-    item->changed();
-  }
-  
+  item->setName(fileinfo.baseName());
 
   return item;
 }
diff --git a/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/Polyhedron_builder_from_STL.h b/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/Polyhedron_builder_from_STL.h
index aa557ff63e5..c58ac0ae97e 100644
--- a/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/Polyhedron_builder_from_STL.h
+++ b/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/Polyhedron_builder_from_STL.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 #include <CGAL/Modifier_base.h>
 #include <CGAL/Polyhedron_incremental_builder_3.h>
-#include <CGAL/array.h>
+#include <CGAL/IO/STL_reader.h>
 
 #include <iostream>
 
@@ -30,96 +30,33 @@ namespace CGAL{
 template <class HDS>
 class Polyhedron_builder_from_STL : public CGAL::Modifier_base<HDS> {
   typedef typename HDS::Vertex::Point Point_3;
-  typedef std::vector<Point_3> Points_3;
+  typedef std::vector<cpp11::array<double, 3> > Points_3;
   typedef cpp11::array<int,3> Facet;
   typedef std::vector<Facet> Surface;
 
   std::istream& is;
-  int counter;
   Points_3 meshPoints;
   Surface mesh;
 
-  bool
-  read(std::istream& input, Points_3& points, Surface& surface, int /*offset*/ = 0)
-  {
-    std::string s, solid("solid"), facet("facet"), outer("outer"), loop("loop"), vertex("vertex"), endloop("endloop"), endsolid("endsolid");
-
-    std::map<Point_3, int> vertex_index;
-    int index = 0;
-    cpp11::array<int,3> ijk;
-    Point_3 p;
-
-    input >> s;
-    if(s == solid){
-      std::getline(input, s);
-    } else {
-      std::cerr << "We expect keyword 'solid'" << std::endl;
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    while(input >> s){
-      if(s == endsolid){
-        //std::cerr << "found endsolid" << std::endl;
-      } else if(s == facet){
-        //std::cerr << "found facet" << std::endl;
-        std::getline(input, s); // ignore the normal
-        input >> s;
-        if(s != outer){
-          std::cerr << "Expect 'outer' and got " << s << std::endl;
-          return false;
-        }
-        input >> s;
-        if(s != loop){
-          std::cerr << "Expect 'loop' and got " << s << std::endl;
-          return false;
-       }
-        int count = 0;
-        do {
-          input >> s;
-          if(s == vertex){
-            //      std::cerr << "found vertex" << std::endl;
-            if(count < 3){
-              input >> p;
-              typename std::map<Point_3, int>::iterator iti=
-                vertex_index.insert(std::make_pair(p,-1)).first;
-              if(iti->second==-1){
-                ijk[count] = index;
-                iti->second = index++;
-                points.push_back(p);
-              } else {
-                ijk[count] = iti->second;
-              }
-              ++count;
-            } else {
-              std::cerr << "We can only read triangulated surfaces" << std::endl;
-              return false;
-            }
-          }
-        }while(s != endloop);
-
-        surface.push_back(ijk);
-      }
-    }
-    return true;
-  }
-
-
 public:
 
   Polyhedron_builder_from_STL(std::istream& is_)
-    : is(is_), counter(0)
+    : is(is_)
   {}
 
   void operator()( HDS& hds) {
-    if(!read(is, meshPoints, mesh)) return;
+    if(!read_STL(is, meshPoints, mesh)) return;
 
     CGAL::Polyhedron_incremental_builder_3<HDS> B(hds);
     B.begin_surface( meshPoints.size(), mesh.size());
     typedef typename Points_3::size_type size_type;
 
     for(size_type i=0; i < meshPoints.size(); i++){
-      B.add_vertex( meshPoints[i]);
+      B.add_vertex(
+        Point_3(meshPoints[i][0], meshPoints[i][1], meshPoints[i][2])
+      );
     }
+
     for(size_type i=0; i < mesh.size(); i++){
       B.begin_facet();
       B.add_vertex_to_facet( mesh[i][0]);
diff --git a/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/STL_reader.h b/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/STL_reader.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ba7bf3895f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Polyhedron_IO/include/CGAL/IO/STL_reader.h
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015 GeometryFactory
+//
+// This file is part of CGAL (www.cgal.org); you can redistribute it and/or
+// modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as
+// published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License,
+// or (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Licensees holding a valid commercial license may use this file in
+// accordance with the commercial license agreement provided with the software.
+//
+// This file is provided AS IS with NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE
+// WARRANTY OF DESIGN, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+//
+// $URL$
+// $Id$
+//
+// Author(s)     : Andreas Fabri
+
+#ifndef CGAL_IO_STL_READER_H
+#define CGAL_IO_STL_READER_H
+
+#include <CGAL/array.h>
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <map>
+#include <iostream>
+
+namespace CGAL{
+
+  bool
+  read_STL( std::istream& input,
+            std::vector< cpp11::array<double,3> >& points,
+            std::vector< cpp11::array<int,3> >& facets,
+            bool verbose = false)
+  {
+    std::string s,
+                solid("solid"),
+                facet("facet"),
+                outer("outer"),
+                loop("loop"),
+                vertex("vertex"),
+                endloop("endloop"),
+                endsolid("endsolid");
+
+    std::map<cpp11::array<double,3>, int> vertex_index;
+    int index = 0;
+    cpp11::array<int,3> ijk;
+    cpp11::array<double,3> p;
+
+    input >> s;
+    if(s == solid){
+      std::getline(input, s);
+    } else {
+      if (verbose)
+        std::cerr << "We expect keyword 'solid'" << std::endl;
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    while(input >> s){
+      if(s == endsolid){
+        //std::cerr << "found endsolid" << std::endl;
+      } else if(s == facet){
+        //std::cerr << "found facet" << std::endl;
+        std::getline(input, s); // ignore the normal
+        input >> s;
+        if(s != outer){
+          if (verbose)
+            std::cerr << "Expect 'outer' and got " << s << std::endl;
+          return false;
+        }
+        input >> s;
+        if(s != loop){
+          if (verbose)
+            std::cerr << "Expect 'loop' and got " << s << std::endl;
+          return false;
+       }
+        int count = 0;
+        do {
+          input >> s;
+          if(s == vertex){
+            //      std::cerr << "found vertex" << std::endl;
+            if(count < 3){
+              input >> p[0] >> p[1] >> p[2];
+              typename std::map<cpp11::array<double,3>, int>::iterator iti=
+                vertex_index.insert(std::make_pair(p,-1)).first;
+              if(iti->second==-1){
+                ijk[count] = index;
+                iti->second = index++;
+                points.push_back(p);
+              } else {
+                ijk[count] = iti->second;
+              }
+              ++count;
+            } else {
+              if (verbose)
+                std::cerr << "We can only read triangulated surfaces" << std::endl;
+              return false;
+            }
+          }
+        }while(s != endloop);
+
+        facets.push_back(ijk);
+      }
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+} // namespace CGAL
+
+#endif // CGAL_IO_STL_READER_H