diff --git a/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/CMakeLists.txt b/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/CMakeLists.txt
index 5fab077f346..56cecc799e6 100644
--- a/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ create_single_source_cgal_program( "transform_iterator.cpp" )
 
 create_single_source_cgal_program( "copy_polyhedron.cpp" )
 
+create_single_source_cgal_program( "polyhedron_generic_properties.cpp" )
 
 if(OpenMesh_FOUND)
   target_link_libraries( copy_polyhedron ${OPENMESH_LIBRARIES} )
diff --git a/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/polyhedron_generic_properties.cpp b/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/polyhedron_generic_properties.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..597942469ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BGL/examples/BGL_polyhedron_3/polyhedron_generic_properties.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+
+#include <CGAL/Simple_cartesian.h>
+#include <CGAL/Polyhedron_3.h>
+#include <CGAL/boost/graph/Euler_operations.h>
+
+typedef CGAL::Simple_cartesian<double> K;
+typedef K::Point_3 Point_3;
+typedef CGAL::Polyhedron_3<K> Mesh;
+
+int main()
+{
+  Mesh m;
+  CGAL::make_triangle(Point_3(0,0,0),Point_3(1,0,0),Point_3(1,1,0),m);
+
+  typedef boost::property_map<Mesh, boost::vertex_property_t<int> >::type VIM;
+  VIM vim = add(boost::vertex_property_t<int>("index"), m);
+  put(vim, *(vertices(m).first), 7812);
+  std::cout << get(vim, *(vertices(m).first)) << std::endl;
+  remove(vim,m);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Polyhedron_3.h b/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Polyhedron_3.h
index 8fa5295751d..8616f8eb357 100644
--- a/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Polyhedron_3.h
+++ b/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Polyhedron_3.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <CGAL/number_utils.h>
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 #include <CGAL/boost/graph/internal/Has_member_id.h>
+#include <boost/unordered_map.hpp>
 
 #define CGAL_HDS_PARAM_ template < class Traits, class Items, class Alloc> class HDS
 
@@ -37,6 +38,55 @@ namespace CGAL {
 
 namespace internal {
 
+template <typename Poly, typename K, typename V>
+struct Dynamic_polyhedron_property_map {
+
+  typedef K key_type;
+  typedef V value_type;
+  typedef value_type& reference;
+  typedef boost::read_write_property_map_tag  category;
+
+ 
+
+  Dynamic_polyhedron_property_map(const V& default_value)
+    : map_(new Map()), default_value(default_value)
+  {}
+
+  void clear()
+  {
+    map_ = boost::shared_ptr<Map>(0);
+  }
+
+
+  friend value_type get(const Dynamic_polyhedron_property_map& m, const key_type& k)
+  {
+    typename Map::const_iterator it = m.map_->find(k);
+    if(it == m.map_->end()){
+      return m.default();
+    }
+    return it->second;
+  }
+
+
+  friend void put(Dynamic_polyhedron_property_map& m, const key_type& k, const value_type& v)
+  {
+    if(v != m.default()){
+      (*(m.map_))[k] = v;
+    }
+  }
+
+  
+  const V& default() const
+  {
+    return default_value;
+  }
+
+
+  V default_value;
+  typedef boost::unordered_map<K,V> Map;
+  boost::shared_ptr<Map> map_;
+};
+
 template<class Handle>
 class Polyhedron_index_map_external
   : public boost::put_get_helper<std::size_t&, Polyhedron_index_map_external<Handle> >
@@ -484,8 +534,37 @@ struct graph_has_property<CGAL::Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A>, vertex_index_t>
     >
 {};
 
+
+template <class Gt, class I, CGAL_HDS_PARAM_, class A, typename T>
+struct property_map<CGAL::Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A>, boost::vertex_property_t<T> >
+{
+  typedef CGAL::Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A> SM;
+  typedef typename boost::graph_traits<SM>::vertex_descriptor vertex_descriptor;
+  typedef CGAL::internal::Dynamic_polyhedron_property_map<SM,vertex_descriptor,T> type;
+  typedef type const_type;
+};
+
+
 } // namespace boost
 
+namespace CGAL {
+
+template<class Gt, class I, CGAL_HDS_PARAM_, class A, class V>
+typename boost::property_map<Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A>, boost::vertex_property_t<V> >::const_type
+add(boost::vertex_property_t<V> vprop, Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A>& poly)
+{
+  typedef CGAL::Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A> SM;
+  typedef typename boost::graph_traits<SM>::vertex_descriptor vertex_descriptor;
+  return internal::Dynamic_polyhedron_property_map<SM,vertex_descriptor,V>(V());
+}
+
+  template <typename Pmap, class Gt, class I, CGAL_HDS_PARAM_, class A>
+void remove(Pmap pm, Polyhedron_3<Gt, I, HDS, A>&)
+{
+  pm.clear();
+}
+
+} // namespace CGAL
 
 #undef CGAL_HDS_PARAM_
 
diff --git a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Surface_mesh.h b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Surface_mesh.h
index ff2d1fc5cc2..fe4cd005566 100644
--- a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Surface_mesh.h
+++ b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Surface_mesh.h
@@ -87,19 +87,30 @@ public:
 
 // overloads and specializations in the boost namespace
 namespace boost {
-#if 1
+
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 struct property_map<CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point>, boost::vertex_property_t<T> >
 {
   typedef CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point> SM;
-  typedef typename SM:: template Property_map<typename SM::vertex_index,T> type;
+  typedef typename SM:: template Property_map<typename SM::Vertex_index,T> type;
   typedef type const_type;
 };
 
+template <typename Point, typename T>
+struct property_map<CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point>, boost::face_property_t<T> >
+{
+  typedef CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point> SM;
+  typedef typename SM:: template Property_map<typename SM::Face_index,T> type;
+  typedef type const_type;
+};
 
-#endif
-
-
+template <typename Point, typename T>
+struct property_map<CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point>, boost::edge_property_t<T> >
+{
+  typedef CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point> SM;
+  typedef typename SM:: template Property_map<typename SM::Edge_index,T> type;
+  typedef type const_type;
+};
 //
 // edge_weight
 //