diff --git a/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/Ray_2.h b/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/Ray_2.h
index be0daf2a94e..a20dbf15c26 100644
--- a/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/Ray_2.h
+++ b/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/Ray_2.h
@@ -65,45 +65,6 @@ public:
   
 };
 
-
-#ifndef CGAL_NO_OSTREAM_INSERT_RAYC2
-template < class R >
-std::ostream &
-operator<<(std::ostream &os, const RayC2<R> &r)
-{
-    switch(os.iword(IO::mode)) {
-    case IO::ASCII :
-        return os << r.source() << ' ' << r.second_point();
-    case IO::BINARY :
-        return os << r.source() << r.second_point();
-    default:
-        return os << "RayC2(" << r.source() <<  ", " << r.second_point() << ")";
-    }
-}
-#endif // CGAL_NO_OSTREAM_INSERT_RAYC2
-
-#ifndef CGAL_NO_ISTREAM_EXTRACT_RAYC2
-template < class R >
-std::istream &
-operator>>(std::istream &is, RayC2<R> &r)
-{
-    typename R::Point_2 p, q;
-
-    is >> p >> q;
-
-    if (is)
-	r = RayC2<R>(p, q);
-    return is;
-}
-#endif // CGAL_NO_ISTREAM_EXTRACT_RAYC2
-
-
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #endif // CGAL_CARTESIAN_RAY_2_H
-
-
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/RayH2.h b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/RayH2.h
index 8e39d6f4bb6..fc903d00c04 100644
--- a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/RayH2.h
+++ b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/RayH2.h
@@ -147,35 +147,6 @@ RayH2<R>
 RayH2<R>::opposite() const
 { return RayH2<R>( start(), - direction() ); }
 
-#ifndef CGAL_NO_OSTREAM_INSERT_RAYH2
-template < class R >
-std::ostream &
-operator<<(std::ostream &os, const RayH2<R> &r)
-{
-  switch(os.iword(IO::mode))
-  {
-    case IO::ASCII :
-        return os << r.source() << ' ' << r.second_point();
-    case IO::BINARY :
-        return os << r.source() << r.second_point();
-    default:
-       return os << "RayC2(" << r.source() <<  ", " << r.second_point() << ")";
-  }
-}
-#endif // CGAL_NO_OSTREAM_INSERT_RAYH2
-
-#ifndef CGAL_NO_ISTREAM_EXTRACT_RAYH2
-template < class R >
-std::istream &
-operator>>(std::istream &is, RayH2<R> &r)
-{
-  typename R::Point_2 p, q;
-  is >> p >> q;
-  r = RayH2<R>(p, q);
-  return is;
-}
-#endif // CGAL_NO_ISTREAM_EXTRACT_RAYH2
-
 template < class R >
 CGAL_KERNEL_INLINE
 bool
diff --git a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Ray_2.h b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Ray_2.h
index 1f6b54e90b0..1e73915e597 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Ray_2.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Ray_2.h
@@ -188,25 +188,73 @@ public:
 
 };
 
-#ifndef CGAL_NO_OSTREAM_INSERT_RAY_2
-template < class R >
-std::ostream &
-operator<<(std::ostream &os, const Ray_2<R> &r)
+
+template <class R >
+std::ostream&
+insert(std::ostream& os, const Ray_2<R>& r, const Cartesian_tag&) 
 {
-  return os << r.rep();
+    switch(os.iword(IO::mode)) {
+    case IO::ASCII :
+        return os << r.source() << ' ' << r.second_point();
+    case IO::BINARY :
+        return os << r.source() << r.second_point();
+    default:
+        return os << "RayC2(" << r.source() <<  ", " << r.second_point() << ")";
+    }
 }
-#endif // CGAL_NO_OSTREAM_INSERT_RAY_2
 
-#ifndef CGAL_NO_ISTREAM_EXTRACT_RAY_2
-template < class R >
-std::istream &
-operator>>(std::istream &is, Ray_2<R> &r)
+template <class R >
+std::ostream&
+insert(std::ostream& os, const Ray_2<R>& r, const Homogeneous_tag&)
 {
-  return is >> r.rep();
+  switch(os.iword(IO::mode))
+  {
+    case IO::ASCII :
+        return os << r.source() << ' ' << r.second_point();
+    case IO::BINARY :
+        return os << r.source() << r.second_point();
+    default:
+       return os << "RayH2(" << r.source() <<  ", " << r.second_point() << ")";
+  }
+}
+
+template < class R >
+std::ostream&
+operator<<(std::ostream& os, const Ray_2<R>& r)
+{
+  return insert(os, r, typename R::Kernel_tag() );
 }
-#endif // CGAL_NO_ISTREAM_EXTRACT_RAY_2
 
 
+template <class R >
+std::istream&
+extract(std::istream& is, Ray_2<R>& r, const Cartesian_tag&) 
+{
+    typename R::Point_2 p, q;
+    is >> p >> q;
+    if (is)
+        r = Ray_2<R>(p, q);
+    return is;
+}
+
+
+template <class R >
+std::istream&
+extract(std::istream& is, Ray_2<R>& r, const Homogeneous_tag&) 
+{
+  typename R::Point_2 p, q;
+  is >> p >> q;
+  if (is)
+    r = Ray_2<R>(p, q);
+  return is;
+}
+
+template < class R >
+std::istream&
+operator>>(std::istream& is, Ray_2<R>& r)
+{
+  return extract(is, r, typename R::Kernel_tag() );
+}
 
 CGAL_END_NAMESPACE