diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3.h
index a33ff7a1e3d..982b3fa023f 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace CGAL {
  */
 template<class Image,
          class BGT,
-         typename Image_word_type = unsigned char,
+         typename Image_word_type_ = unsigned char,
          typename Subdomain_index = int,
          class Null_subdomain_index = Default,
          class Wrapper_ = Default >
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3
 <typename Default::Get
    <Wrapper_,
     Mesh_3::Image_to_labeled_function_wrapper<Image, BGT,
-                                              Image_word_type,
+                                              Image_word_type_,
                                               Subdomain_index>
     >::type,
  BGT,
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ class Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3
  >
 {
 public:
+  typedef Image_word_type_ Image_word_type;
   typedef typename Default::Get
     <Wrapper_,
      Mesh_3::Image_to_labeled_function_wrapper<Image, BGT,
diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/polylines_to_protect.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/polylines_to_protect.h
index da25e5ca81b..21a37973c5e 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/polylines_to_protect.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_3/polylines_to_protect.h
@@ -28,15 +28,20 @@
 #include <CGAL/internal/Mesh_3/split_in_polylines.h>
 #include <CGAL/internal/Mesh_3/Graph_manipulations.h>
 #include <boost/graph/adjacency_list.hpp>
+#include <CGAL/Labeled_image_mesh_domain_3.h> // for CGAL::Null_subdomain_index
 
 namespace CGAL {
 
 
-template <typename P>
+template <typename P,
+          typename Image_word_type,
+          typename Null_subdomain_index>
 void
 polylines_to_protect(const CGAL::Image_3& cgal_image,
-                     const double, const double, const double,
-                     std::vector<std::vector<P> >& polylines)
+                     const double vx, const double vy, const double vz,
+                     std::vector<std::vector<P> >& polylines,
+                     Image_word_type*,
+                     Null_subdomain_index null)
 {
   typedef typename Kernel_traits<P>::Kernel K;
   typedef P Point_3;
@@ -85,7 +90,6 @@ polylines_to_protect(const CGAL::Image_3& cgal_image,
             // we have gone too far
             continue;
           }
-          typedef unsigned char Image_word_type;
           typedef tuple<Pixel, Point_3, Image_word_type> Enriched_pixel;
 
           array<array<Enriched_pixel, 2>, 2> square =
@@ -99,9 +103,9 @@ polylines_to_protect(const CGAL::Image_3& cgal_image,
             for(int jj = 0; jj < 2; ++jj)
             {
               const Pixel& pixel = get<0>(square[ii][jj]);
-              double x = pixel[0] * cgal_image.vx();
-              double y = pixel[1] * cgal_image.vy();
-              double z = pixel[2] * cgal_image.vz();
+              double x = pixel[0] * vx;
+              double y = pixel[1] * vy;
+              double z = pixel[2] * vz;
               get<1>(square[ii][jj]) = Point_3(x, y, z);
               get<2>(square[ii][jj]) = static_cast<Image_word_type>(cgal_image.value(pixel[0],
                                                                                      pixel[1],
@@ -340,7 +344,22 @@ case_4:
 }
 
 
-template <typename P>
+template <typename P, typename Image_word_type, typename Null_subdomain_index>
+void
+polylines_to_protect(const CGAL::Image_3& cgal_image,
+                     std::vector<std::vector<P> >& polylines,
+                     Image_word_type* word_type,
+                     Null_subdomain_index null)
+{
+  polylines_to_protect<P>
+    (cgal_image,
+     cgal_image.vx(), cgal_image.vy(),cgal_image.vz(),
+     polylines,
+     word_type,
+     null);
+}
+
+template <typename P, typename Image_word_type>
 void
 polylines_to_protect(const CGAL::Image_3& cgal_image,
                      std::vector<std::vector<P> >& polylines)
@@ -348,7 +367,9 @@ polylines_to_protect(const CGAL::Image_3& cgal_image,
   polylines_to_protect<P>
     (cgal_image,
      cgal_image.vx(), cgal_image.vy(),cgal_image.vz(),
-     polylines);
+     polylines,
+     (Image_word_type*)0,
+     CGAL::Null_subdomain_index());
 }
 
 } // namespace CGAL
diff --git a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/Mesh_3/Mesh_3_plugin_cgal_code.cpp b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/Mesh_3/Mesh_3_plugin_cgal_code.cpp
index 2978e674c55..626b2b65428 100644
--- a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/Mesh_3/Mesh_3_plugin_cgal_code.cpp
+++ b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/Mesh_3/Mesh_3_plugin_cgal_code.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,9 @@ Meshing_thread* cgal_code_mesh_3(const Image* pImage,
 
   if(protect_features && polylines.empty()){
     std::vector<std::vector<Point_3> > polylines_on_bbox;
-    CGAL::polylines_to_protect<Point_3>(*pImage, polylines_on_bbox);
+    CGAL::polylines_to_protect<
+      Point_3,
+      Image_mesh_domain::Image_word_type>(*pImage, polylines_on_bbox);
     p_domain->add_features(polylines_on_bbox.begin(), polylines_on_bbox.end());
   }
   if(! polylines.empty()){