diff --git a/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h b/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h
index c23d442fa63..a7ccc4e66bb 100644
--- a/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h
+++ b/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h
@@ -96,6 +96,13 @@ namespace CartesianKernelFunctors {
 		     r.x(), r.y(), r.z(),
 		     s.x(), s.y(), s.z());
     }
+
+    result_type
+    operator()(const Point_3& p, const Point_3& q,
+               const Point_3& r, const Vector_3& n) const
+    {
+      return enum_cast<Angle>(orientation(p,q,r,r+n));
+    }
   };
 
   template <typename K>
diff --git a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h
index b3dc18a7bb4..5a213bfd0dc 100644
--- a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h
+++ b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ namespace HomogeneousKernelFunctors {
                const Point_3& r, const Point_3& s) const
     { return enum_cast<Angle>(CGAL_NTS sign(c(q,p) * c(s,r))); }
     // FIXME: scalar product
+
+    result_type
+    operator()(const Point_3& p, const Point_3& q,
+               const Point_3& r, const Vector_3& n) const
+    {
+      return enum_cast<Angle>(orientation(p,q,r,r+n));
   };
 
 
diff --git a/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions.h b/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions.h
index cb2c3223511..bd5215b1858 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const CGAL::Point_2<Kernel>& q,
 const CGAL::Point_2<Kernel>& r,
 const CGAL::Point_2<Kernel>& s);
 
+
 /*!
 
 returns `CGAL::OBTUSE`, `CGAL::RIGHT` or `CGAL::ACUTE` depending
@@ -61,6 +62,17 @@ Kernel::FT approximate_dihedral_angle(const CGAL::Point_3<Kernel>& p,
                                       const CGAL::Point_3<Kernel>& r,
                                       const CGAL::Point_3<Kernel>& s);
 
+/*!
+
+returns `CGAL::OBTUSE`, `CGAL::RIGHT` or `CGAL::ACUTE` depending
+on the angle formed by the normal vector of the plane `pqr` and `v`. 
+*/
+template <typename Kernel>
+Angle angle(const CGAL::Point_3<Kernel>& p,
+const CGAL::Point_3<Kernel>& q,
+const CGAL::Point_3<Kernel>& r,
+const CGAL::Vector_3<Kernel>& v);
+
 /// @}
 
 
diff --git a/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h b/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h
index 1dc0d82158d..848d3eb6a2d 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h
@@ -85,7 +85,16 @@ public:
   Angle operator()(const Kernel::Point_3&p, 
                    const Kernel::Point_3&q, 
                    const Kernel::Point_3&r, 
-                   const Kernel::Point_3&s); 
+                   const Kernel::Point_3&s);   
+
+  /*!
+    returns \ref CGAL::OBTUSE, \ref CGAL::RIGHT or \ref CGAL::ACUTE depending 
+    on the angle formed by the twonormal vector of the plane `pqr` and `v`. 
+  */ 
+  Angle operator()(const Kernel::Point_3&p, 
+                   const Kernel::Point_3&q, 
+                   const Kernel::Point_3&r, 
+                   const Kernel::Vector_3&s); 
   /// @}
 
 }; /* end Kernel::Angle_3 */
diff --git a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_3.h b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_3.h
index 5a561b9094f..83530bb8c4d 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_3.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_3.h
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ angle(const Point_3<K> &p, const Point_3<K> &q,
   return internal::angle(p, q, r, s, K());
 }
 
+template <typename K>
+inline
+Angle
+angle(const Point_3<K> &p, const Point_3<K> &q,
+      const Point_3<K> &r, const Vector_3<K> &v)
+{
+  return internal::angle(p, q, r, v, K());
+}
+
 template < class K >
 inline
 typename K::FT
diff --git a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_3.h b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_3.h
index ee77794fbc4..eb4887b7724 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_3.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_3.h
@@ -70,6 +70,18 @@ angle(const typename K::Point_3 &p,
   return k.angle_3_object()(p, q, r, s);
 }
 
+template <typename K>
+inline
+typename K::Angle
+angle(const typename K::Point_3 &p,
+      const typename K::Point_3 &q,
+      const typename K::Point_3 &r,
+      const typename K::Vector_3 &v,
+      const K &k)
+{
+  return k.angle_3_object()(p, q, r, v);
+}
+
 template < class K >
 inline
 typename K::FT
diff --git a/Kernel_23/test/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/_test_angle.h b/Kernel_23/test/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/_test_angle.h
index eb11c1e3f2f..17b2bbbf889 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/test/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/_test_angle.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/test/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/_test_angle.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ _test_angle(const R&)
   typedef CGAL::Point_3<R>  Point_3;
 
   typedef CGAL::Vector_2<R> Vector_2;
+  typedef CGAL::Vector_3<R> Vector_3;
 
   Point_2 p(RT(2),RT(1));
   Point_2 q(RT(5),RT(4));
@@ -67,6 +68,12 @@ _test_angle(const R&)
   assert( CGAL::angle( org3 - sz, sz - sy) == CGAL::OBTUSE );
   assert( CGAL::angle( org3 - sx, sy - sx) == CGAL::ACUTE );
 
+  Vector_3 vz(RT0, RT0, RT1);
+  Vector_3 vcoplanar(RT1, RT1, RT0);
+  Vector_3 vmz(RT0, RT0, -RT1);
+  assert( CGAL::angle( org3, sx, sy, vz) ==  CGAL::ACUTE );
+  assert( CGAL::angle( org3, sx, sy, vcoplanar) ==  CGAL::RIGHT );
+  assert( CGAL::angle( org3, sx, sy, vmz) ==  CGAL::OBTUSE );
   return true;
 }