diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Compact_mesh_cell_base_3.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Compact_mesh_cell_base_3.h
index 2af1c3dad17..e2e3f5d668f 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Compact_mesh_cell_base_3.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Compact_mesh_cell_base_3.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include <CGAL/basic.h>
 #include <CGAL/triangulation_assertions.h>
 #include <CGAL/internal/Dummy_tds_3.h>
+#include <CGAL/tags.h>
+#include <CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h>
 
 #include <CGAL/Regular_triangulation_cell_base_3.h>
 #include <CGAL/Mesh_3/io_signature.h>
@@ -499,10 +501,18 @@ private:
   mutable bool sliver_cache_validity_;
 
 public: 
-  std::size_t ts;
+  std::size_t time_stamp_;
 
 };  // end class Compact_mesh_cell_base_3
 
+namespace internal {
+namespace Mesh_3 {
+  template < class GT, class MT, class Cb >
+  struct Has_timestamp< Compact_mesh_cell_base_3<GT, MT, Cb> > 
+    : public CGAL::Tag_true
+    {};
+} // end namespace internal::Mesh_3
+} // end namespace internal
 
 
 template < class GT, class MT, class Cb >
diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eaef0ae56ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2009 INRIA Sophia-Antipolis (France).
+// Copyright (c) 2014 GeometryFactory Sarl (France)
+// All rights reserved.
+//
+// This file is part of CGAL (www.cgal.org).
+// You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU
+// 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.
+//
+//
+//
+// Author(s)     : Jane Tournois
+
+#ifndef CGAL_MESH_3_HAS_TIMESTAMP_H
+#define CGAL_MESH_3_HAS_TIMESTAMP_H
+
+#include <boost/mpl/has_xxx.hpp>
+#include <CGAL/tags.h>
+
+namespace CGAL {
+
+namespace internal {
+namespace Mesh_3 {
+
+  // to have Mesh_3 deterministic,
+  // a partial specialization of this class should be written next to
+  // every class that implements concepts MeshCellBase_3 or MeshVertexBase_3
+  template <typename T>
+  struct Has_timestamp : public CGAL::Tag_false
+    // when T does not have a partial specialization of Has_timestamp
+  {};
+
+} // end namespace internal::Mesh_3
+} // end namespace internal
+} // end namespace CGAL
+
+#endif // CGAL_MESH_3_HAS_TIMESTAMP_H
diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_cell_base_3.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_cell_base_3.h
index 283d1baf9eb..341fa1b42a0 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_cell_base_3.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_cell_base_3.h
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include <CGAL/Triangulation_cell_base_with_circumcenter_3.h>
 #include <CGAL/Mesh_3/Mesh_surface_cell_base_3.h>
 #include <CGAL/Mesh_3/io_signature.h>
+#include <CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h>
+#include <CGAL/tags.h>
 
 namespace CGAL {
   
@@ -169,8 +171,19 @@ private:
   Cell_handle next_intrusive_, previous_intrusive_;
 #endif
 
+public: 
+  std::size_t time_stamp_;
+
 };  // end class Mesh_cell_base_3
 
+namespace internal {
+namespace Mesh_3 {
+  template < class GT, class MT, class Cb >
+  struct Has_timestamp< Mesh_cell_base_3<GT, MT, Cb> > 
+    : public CGAL::Tag_true
+    {};
+} // end namespace internal::Mesh_3
+} // end namespace internal
 
 
 template < class GT, class MT, class Cb >
diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h
index 6765e9c4721..eaed5e9ccae 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h
@@ -30,9 +30,10 @@
 #define CGAL_COMPACT_MESH_VERTEX_BASE_3_H
 
 #include <CGAL/Triangulation_vertex_base_3.h>
-#include <CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_features.h>
 #include <CGAL/internal/Mesh_3/get_index.h>
 #include <CGAL/Mesh_3/io_signature.h>
+#include <CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h>
+#include <CGAL/tags.h>
 
 namespace CGAL {
 
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ public:
   }
 
 public:
-  std::size_t ts;
+  std::size_t time_stamp_;
 
 private:
 
@@ -187,6 +188,10 @@ private:
 
 namespace internal {
 namespace Mesh_3 {
+  template < class GT, class MT, class Vb >
+  struct Has_timestamp< Mesh_vertex_base_3<GT, MT, Vb> > 
+    : public CGAL::Tag_true
+    {};
 } // end namespace internal::Mesh_3
 } // end namespace internal
 
diff --git a/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/Compact_container.h b/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/Compact_container.h
index c9a17224afa..464d5b38a0a 100644
--- a/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/Compact_container.h
+++ b/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/Compact_container.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <CGAL/memory.h>
 #include <CGAL/iterator.h>
+#include <CGAL/Mesh_3/Has_timestamp.h>
 
 #include <boost/mpl/if.hpp>
 
@@ -121,8 +122,8 @@ public:
   CGAL_time_stamper(const CGAL_time_stamper& ts)
    : time_stamp_(ts.time_stamp_) {}
 
-  void set_time_stamp(T* pt)    { pt->ts = time_stamp_++; }
-  static std::size_t get(T* pt) { return pt->ts; }
+  void set_time_stamp(T* pt)    { pt->time_stamp_ = time_stamp_++; }
+  static std::size_t get(T* pt) { return pt->time_stamp_; }
   void reset()                  { time_stamp_ = 0; }
 
   std::size_t time_stamp_;
@@ -147,7 +148,8 @@ class Compact_container
   typedef typename Default::Get< Al, CGAL_ALLOCATOR(T) >::type Allocator;
   
   typedef TimeStamper_                              Ts;
-  typedef typename boost::mpl::if_c< true,// CGAL::has_timestamp<T>, 
+  typedef typename boost::mpl::if_c<
+        CGAL::internal::Mesh_3::Has_timestamp<T>::value,
         typename CGAL_time_stamper<T>,
         typename CGAL_no_time_stamp<T> >::type      Time_stamper_;
   typedef typename Default::Get<Ts, Time_stamper_>::type Time_stamper;
diff --git a/Spatial_searching/include/CGAL/Kd_tree_node.h b/Spatial_searching/include/CGAL/Kd_tree_node.h
index 561bda0c0d3..159bdf6a8bf 100644
--- a/Spatial_searching/include/CGAL/Kd_tree_node.h
+++ b/Spatial_searching/include/CGAL/Kd_tree_node.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 
 #include <CGAL/Splitters.h>
 #include <CGAL/Compact_container.h>
+#include <CGAL/tags.h>
+
 namespace CGAL {
 
   template <class SearchTraits, class Splitter, class UseExtendedNode> 
@@ -61,9 +63,6 @@ namespace CGAL {
     // private variables for extended internal nodes
     FT low_val;
     FT high_val;
-                
-  public:
-    std::size_t ts;
 
   public:
 		
@@ -75,11 +74,11 @@ namespace CGAL {
     {}
 
     Kd_tree_node(Node_type t ) 
-      : the_node_type(t) , ts(0)
+      : the_node_type(t)
     {}
 
     Kd_tree_node(unsigned int n_, Node_type t ) 
-      : the_node_type(t), n(n_),  ts(0)
+      : the_node_type(t), n(n_)
     {}
 
     // members for all nodes
diff --git a/Triangulation_3/include/CGAL/Triangulation_ds_cell_base_3.h b/Triangulation_3/include/CGAL/Triangulation_ds_cell_base_3.h
index dc63441d5d0..c6ccd94ce67 100644
--- a/Triangulation_3/include/CGAL/Triangulation_ds_cell_base_3.h
+++ b/Triangulation_3/include/CGAL/Triangulation_ds_cell_base_3.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <CGAL/basic.h>
 #include <CGAL/triangulation_assertions.h>
 #include <CGAL/internal/Dummy_tds_3.h>
+#include <CGAL/tags.h>
 
 namespace CGAL {
 
@@ -207,8 +208,6 @@ private:
   Cell_handle   N[4];
   Vertex_handle V[4];
   TDS_data      _tds_data;
-public:
-  std::size_t ts;
 };
 
 template < class TDS >