diff --git a/Algebraic_foundations/include/CGAL/Test/_test_real_embeddable.h b/Algebraic_foundations/include/CGAL/Test/_test_real_embeddable.h
index 150ac2c834e..0b2921ee0c5 100644
--- a/Algebraic_foundations/include/CGAL/Test/_test_real_embeddable.h
+++ b/Algebraic_foundations/include/CGAL/Test/_test_real_embeddable.h
@@ -123,11 +123,24 @@ CGAL_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
         }
     };
 
+// Several libraries do not want to enforce the use of std::min/max
+// for the case that there is a special function for min/max
+// However, this may be a problem for template CGAL::min/max in case NT is a 
+// CGAL type. These types have to overload CGAL::min/max. 
+template<typename NT>
+void test_min_max(){
+  using std:: min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION ;
+  using std:: max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION ;  
+  NT x(1),y(2);
+  assert(min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION (x,y)==NT(1));
+  assert(max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION (x,y)==NT(2));
+}
 
 //! tests if \c Type is a model for the \c RealComparable concept
 //! and terminates the program with an error message if not.
 template <class Type>
 void test_real_embeddable() {    
+  test_min_max<Type>();  
     typedef CGAL::Real_embeddable_traits<Type> RET;
     CGAL_SNAP_RET_FUNCTORS(RET);
     typedef typename RET::Is_real_embeddable Is_real_embeddable;
diff --git a/Nef_2/include/CGAL/Nef_polynomial.h b/Nef_2/include/CGAL/Nef_polynomial.h
index 3725c353f1f..cac5fe6e2ce 100644
--- a/Nef_2/include/CGAL/Nef_polynomial.h
+++ b/Nef_2/include/CGAL/Nef_polynomial.h
@@ -221,6 +221,18 @@ template <class NT> class Real_embeddable_traits< Nef_polynomial<NT> >
     };
 };
 
+template <typename NT>
+inline Nef_polynomial<NT> min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION
+(const Nef_polynomial<NT>& x,const Nef_polynomial<NT>& y){
+  return (x<=y)?x:y; 
+}
+
+template <typename NT>
+inline Nef_polynomial<NT> max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION
+(const Nef_polynomial<NT>& x,const Nef_polynomial<NT>& y){
+  return (x>=y)?x:y; 
+}
+
 template <typename NT>
 class Fraction_traits<Nef_polynomial<NT> > {
 public:
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Counted_number.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Counted_number.h
index 9cde32122e6..a452e21eb31 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Counted_number.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Counted_number.h
@@ -768,6 +768,19 @@ public:
     };
 };
 
+template<typename NT> inline 
+Counted_number<NT> min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Counted_number<NT> & x,
+const Counted_number<NT> & y){
+  return CGAL::Min<Counted_number<NT> > ()(x,y);
+}
+template<typename NT> inline 
+Counted_number<NT> max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Counted_number<NT> & x,
+const Counted_number<NT> & y){
+  return CGAL::Max<Counted_number<NT> > ()(x,y);
+}
+
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpq_type.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpq_type.h
index 4411d8aea6c..e1041fc4b4c 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpq_type.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpq_type.h
@@ -421,6 +421,14 @@ operator>>(std::istream& is, Gmpq &z)
   return is;
 }
 
+inline Gmpq min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const Gmpq& x,const Gmpq& y){
+  return (x<=y)?x:y; 
+}
+inline Gmpq max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const Gmpq& x,const Gmpq& y){
+  return (x>=y)?x:y; 
+}
+
+
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpz_type.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpz_type.h
index 974a5ca6282..73cc54fdf3d 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpz_type.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpz_type.h
@@ -454,9 +454,18 @@ struct Split_double<Gmpz>
   }
 };
 
+inline Gmpz min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const Gmpz& x,const Gmpz& y){
+  return (x<=y)?x:y; 
+}
+inline Gmpz max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const Gmpz& x,const Gmpz& y){
+  return (x>=y)?x:y; 
+}
+
+
 #include <CGAL/auto_link/GMP.h>
 #include <CGAL/auto_link/MPFR.h>
 
+
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #endif // CGAL_GMPZ_TYPE_H
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpzf_type.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpzf_type.h
index 71b16c92061..41ae9d18cae 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpzf_type.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/GMP/Gmpzf_type.h
@@ -573,6 +573,13 @@ bool operator>(const Gmpzf &a, int b)
   return operator>(a, Gmpzf(b));
 }
 
+inline Gmpzf min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const Gmpzf& x,const Gmpzf& y){
+  return (x<=y)?x:y; 
+}
+inline Gmpzf max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const Gmpzf& x,const Gmpzf& y){
+  return (x>=y)?x:y; 
+}
+
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #endif // CGAL_GMPZF_TYPE_H
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Interval_nt.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Interval_nt.h
index a51d9b91d7f..b282417339f 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Interval_nt.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Interval_nt.h
@@ -788,9 +788,6 @@ operator/ (const Interval_nt<Protected> & a, int b)
 }
 
 // TODO: What about these two guys? Where do they belong to?
-
-
-
 template <bool Protected>
 struct Min <Interval_nt<Protected> >
     : public std::binary_function<Interval_nt<Protected>,
@@ -821,6 +818,20 @@ struct Max <Interval_nt<Protected> >
     }
 };
 
+template<bool Protected> inline 
+Interval_nt<Protected> min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Interval_nt<Protected> & x,
+const Interval_nt<Protected> & y){
+  return CGAL::Min<Interval_nt<Protected> > ()(x,y);
+}
+template<bool Protected> inline 
+Interval_nt<Protected> max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Interval_nt<Protected> & x,
+const Interval_nt<Protected> & y){
+  return CGAL::Max<Interval_nt<Protected> > ()(x,y);
+}
+
+
 
 // TODO : document, when we are OK with the interface.
 // - should it allow other number types for the exponent ?
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Lazy_exact_nt.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Lazy_exact_nt.h
index 7457de12675..1de188a9f77 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Lazy_exact_nt.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Lazy_exact_nt.h
@@ -1220,6 +1220,18 @@ struct Max <Lazy_exact_nt<ET> >
     }
 };
 
+template<typename ET> inline 
+Lazy_exact_nt<ET> min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Lazy_exact_nt<ET> & x,
+const Lazy_exact_nt<ET> & y){
+  return CGAL::Min<Lazy_exact_nt<ET> > ()(x,y);
+}
+template<typename ET> inline 
+Lazy_exact_nt<ET> max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Lazy_exact_nt<ET> & x,
+const Lazy_exact_nt<ET> & y){
+  return CGAL::Max<Lazy_exact_nt<ET> > ()(x,y);
+}
 
 template <typename ET>
 std::ostream &
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/MP_Float.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/MP_Float.h
index efb70438d57..8f4f218bc7a 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/MP_Float.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/MP_Float.h
@@ -822,6 +822,14 @@ public:
     };
 };
 
+inline MP_Float min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const MP_Float& x,const MP_Float& y){
+  return (x<=y)?x:y; 
+}
+inline MP_Float max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(const MP_Float& x,const MP_Float& y){
+  return (x>=y)?x:y; 
+}
+
+
 // TODO:
 // // specialization of to double functor
 // template<>
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Root_of_2.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Root_of_2.h
index 8a13c2ddf9b..fcd7f2b3fd4 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Root_of_2.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Root_of_2.h
@@ -1362,6 +1362,17 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
+template <class NT>
+inline const Root_of_2<NT>& min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION
+(const Root_of_2<NT>& p, const Root_of_2<NT>& q){
+  return (std::min)(p, q);
+}
+template <class NT> 
+inline const Root_of_2<NT>& max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION
+(const Root_of_2<NT>& p, const Root_of_2<NT>& q){
+  return (std::max)(p, q);
+}
+
 } // namespace CGAL
 
 #undef CGAL_int
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Real_embeddable_traits.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Real_embeddable_traits.h
index b099192fcb2..26683a4928f 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Real_embeddable_traits.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Real_embeddable_traits.h
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ class Real_embeddable_traits< Sqrt_extension<COEFF, ROOT> >
         }
     };
 };
-
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Sqrt_extension_type.h b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Sqrt_extension_type.h
index 39f215446ca..72c646b327a 100644
--- a/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Sqrt_extension_type.h
+++ b/Number_types/include/CGAL/Sqrt_extension/Sqrt_extension_type.h
@@ -606,6 +606,20 @@ template <class NT,class ROOT>  bool operator >
 (CGAL_int(NT) num, const Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT>& p)
 { return ( p.compare(num) == CGAL::SMALLER ); }
 
+template<typename NT, typename ROOT> inline 
+Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT> min BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT> & x,
+const Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT> & y){
+  return (std::min)(x,y);
+}
+template<typename NT, typename ROOT> inline 
+Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT> max BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(
+const Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT> & x,
+const Sqrt_extension<NT,ROOT> & y){
+  return (std::max)(x,y);
+}
+
+
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #undef CGAL_int