diff --git a/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Simplicial_mesh_vertex_base_3.h b/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Simplicial_mesh_vertex_base_3.h
index 04b6f19af18..24656da85e1 100644
--- a/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Simplicial_mesh_vertex_base_3.h
+++ b/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Simplicial_mesh_vertex_base_3.h
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@
 
 #include <CGAL/SMDS_3/internal/indices_management.h>
 #include <CGAL/SMDS_3/io_signature.h>
+#include <CGAL/variant.h>
 #include <CGAL/Has_timestamp.h>
 
-#include <variant>
 #include <tuple>
 
 namespace CGAL {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public:
   using Vertex_handle = typename Vb::Vertex_handle;
 
   // Types
-  using Index = std::variant<Subdomain_index, Surface_patch_index, Curve_index, Corner_index>;
+  using Index = Variant_with_no_duplicate_t<Subdomain_index, Surface_patch_index, Curve_index, Corner_index>;
   using FT = typename GT::FT;
 
   // Constructor
diff --git a/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/variant.h b/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/variant.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..41bd836d8cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/STL_Extension/include/CGAL/variant.h
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2023  GeometryFactory Sarl (France).
+// All rights reserved.
+//
+// This file is part of CGAL (www.cgal.org)
+//
+// $URL$
+// $Id$
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-or-later OR LicenseRef-Commercial
+//
+// Author(s)     : Sébastien Loriot
+//
+
+#ifndef CGAL_VARIANT_H
+#define CGAL_VARIANT_H
+
+#include <variant>
+
+namespace CGAL
+{
+
+template <class T, class Variant>
+struct Is_in_variant;
+
+template <class T, class V1, class ... Vn>
+struct Is_in_variant<T, std::variant<V1,Vn...>>
+{
+  inline static constexpr bool value =
+    std::is_same_v<T, V1> || Is_in_variant<T, std::variant<Vn...>>::value;
+};
+
+template <class T, class V>
+struct Is_in_variant<T, std::variant<V>>
+{
+  inline static constexpr bool value = std::is_same_v<T, V>;
+};
+
+/// equals true iif `T` is a possible type in `Variant` with `Variant` being a `std::variant`
+template <class T, class Variant>
+inline constexpr bool Is_in_variant_v = Is_in_variant<T, Variant>::value;
+
+// --
+template <class T, class Variant>
+struct Add_to_variant;
+
+template <class T, class ... Vn>
+struct Add_to_variant<T, std::variant<Vn...>>
+{
+  using type = std::variant<Vn..., T>;
+};
+
+/// a `std::variant` with `T` appended to the types of the `std::variant` `Variant`
+template< class T, class Variant >
+using Add_to_variant_t = typename Add_to_variant<T,Variant>::type;
+
+namespace internal{
+template <class Variant, class T1, class ... Tn>
+struct Get_variant_impl
+{
+  using type = typename Get_variant_impl<
+    std::conditional_t<Is_in_variant_v<T1, Variant>,
+                       Variant,
+                       Add_to_variant_t<T1,Variant>>,
+    Tn...>::type;
+};
+
+template <class Variant, class T1>
+struct Get_variant_impl<Variant, T1>
+{
+  using type = std::conditional_t<Is_in_variant_v<T1, Variant>,
+                                  Variant,
+                                  Add_to_variant_t<T1,Variant>>;
+};
+} // end of internal namespace
+
+template <class T1, class ... Tn>
+struct Variant_with_no_duplicate
+{
+  using type = typename internal::Get_variant_impl<std::variant<T1>, Tn ...>::type;
+};
+
+/// a `std::variant` with types being all different
+template< class ... Tn >
+using Variant_with_no_duplicate_t = typename Variant_with_no_duplicate<Tn ... >::type;
+
+} //end of CGAL namespace
+
+#endif