diff --git a/Stream_support/include/CGAL/IO/PLY/PLY_writer.h b/Stream_support/include/CGAL/IO/PLY/PLY_writer.h
index 2e8bbad3a89..9a7b7afd914 100644
--- a/Stream_support/include/CGAL/IO/PLY/PLY_writer.h
+++ b/Stream_support/include/CGAL/IO/PLY/PLY_writer.h
@@ -298,6 +298,42 @@ public:
   }
 };
 
+
+template <typename Index,
+          typename PropertyMap,
+          typename VectorType = typename boost::property_traits<PropertyMap>::value_type,
+          typename ElementType = typename VectorType::value_type>
+class Simple_property_vector_printer
+  : public Abstract_property_printer<Index>
+{
+  PropertyMap m_pmap;
+public:
+  Simple_property_vector_printer(const PropertyMap& pmap) : m_pmap(pmap) { }
+
+  virtual void print(std::ostream& stream, const Index& index)
+  {
+    const VectorType& vec = get(m_pmap, index);
+    if(get_mode(stream) == CGAL::IO::ASCII)
+    {
+      stream << vec.size();
+      for(const ElementType& v : vec)
+      {
+        stream << " " << v;
+      }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      unsigned char size = (unsigned char)(vec.size());
+      stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&size), sizeof(size));
+      for(const ElementType& v : vec)
+      {
+        ElementType t = ElementType(v);
+        stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&t), sizeof(t));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+};
+
 } // namespace internal
 } // namespace IO
 } // namespace CGAL
diff --git a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/IO/PLY.h b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/IO/PLY.h
index 1e59286bd01..e0afe1bd5e6 100644
--- a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/IO/PLY.h
+++ b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/IO/PLY.h
@@ -590,6 +590,17 @@ void fill_header(std::ostream& os, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm,
   typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, boost::uint64_t> Uint64_map;
   typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, float>           Float_map;
   typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, double>          Double_map;
+  // vector types for "property list"s
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::int8_t>>   vector_Int8_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::uint8_t>>  vector_Uint8_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::int16_t>>  vector_Int16_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::uint16_t>> vector_Uint16_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::int32_t>>  vector_Int32_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::uint32_t>> vector_Uint32_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::int64_t>>  vector_Int64_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<boost::uint64_t>> vector_Uint64_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<float>>           vector_Float_map;
+  typedef typename SMesh::template Property_map<Simplex, std::vector<double>>          vector_Double_map;
 
   std::vector<std::string> prop = sm.template properties<Simplex>();
 
@@ -702,6 +713,106 @@ void fill_header(std::ostream& os, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm,
         continue;
       }
     }
+    {
+      vector_Int8_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::int8_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar char " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Int8_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Uint8_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::uint8_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar uchar " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Uint8_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Int16_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::int16_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar short " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Int16_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Uint16_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::uint16_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar ushort " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Uint16_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Int32_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::int32_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar int " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Int32_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Uint32_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::uint32_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar uint " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Uint32_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Int64_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::int64_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar int " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Int64_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Uint64_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<boost::uint64_t>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar uint " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Uint64_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Float_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<float>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar float " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Float_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    {
+      vector_Double_map pmap;
+      boost::tie(pmap, okay) = sm.template property_map<Simplex,std::vector<double>>(prop[i]);
+      if(okay)
+      {
+        os << "property list uchar double " << name << std::endl;
+        printers.push_back(new internal::Simple_property_vector_printer<Simplex,vector_Double_map>(pmap));
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
   }
 }