diff --git a/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h b/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h
index 27d9029b088..bbe7e938a06 100644
--- a/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h
+++ b/Cartesian_kernel/include/CGAL/Cartesian/function_objects.h
@@ -541,8 +541,10 @@ namespace CartesianKernelFunctors {
     typedef typename K::Point_2   Point_2;
     typedef typename K::Line_2    Line_2;
     typedef typename K::Equal_2   Equal_2;
+    typedef typename K::Less_signed_distance_to_line_2 Less_signed_distance_to_line_2;
+    
   public:
-    typedef Comparison_result     result_type;
+    typedef typename K::Comparison_result     result_type;
 
     result_type
     operator()(const Point_2& a, const Point_2& b,
@@ -555,6 +557,15 @@ namespace CartesianKernelFunctors {
                                         c.x(), c.y(),
                                         d.x(), d.y());
     }
+
+    result_type
+    operator()(const Line_2& l, const Point_2& p, const Point_2& q) const
+    {
+      Less_signed_distance_to_line_2 less = K().less_signed_distance_to_line_2_object();
+      if (less(l, p, q)) return SMALLER;
+      if (less(l, q, p)) return LARGER;
+      return EQUAL;
+    }
   };
 
   template <typename K>
diff --git a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h
index 5ca5dd5a880..e86d75a6b81 100644
--- a/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h
+++ b/Homogeneous_kernel/include/CGAL/Homogeneous/function_objects.h
@@ -803,6 +803,15 @@ namespace HomogeneousKernelFunctors {
 
       return compare(scaled_dist_r_minus_scaled_dist_s, 0);
     }
+    
+    result_type
+    operator()(const Line_2& l, const Point_2& p, const Point_2& q) const
+    {
+      Less_signed_distance_to_line_2 less = K().less_signed_distance_to_line_2_object();
+      if (less(l, p, q)) return SMALLER;
+      if (less(l, q, p)) return LARGER;
+      return EQUAL;
+    }
   };
 
   template <typename K>
diff --git a/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h b/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h
index e3f773acdee..4a250abb319 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/doc/Kernel_23/Concepts/FunctionObjectConcepts.h
@@ -999,6 +999,13 @@ public:
                                const Kernel::Point_2& q,
                                const Kernel::Point_2& r,
                                const Kernel::Point_2& s);
+  
+  /*!
+    compares the signed distance of `r` and `s` to the directed line `l`. 
+  */ 
+  Comparison_result operator()(const Kernel::Line_2& l,
+                               const Kernel::Point_2& r,
+                               const Kernel::Point_2& s);
   /// @}
 }; /* end Kernel::CompareSignedDistanceToLine_2 */
 
diff --git a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_2.h b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_2.h
index 2b94ed2d71a..65ae49eda3f 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_2.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/global_functions_internal_2.h
@@ -361,9 +361,7 @@ compare_signed_distance_to_line(const typename K::Line_2& l,
 				const typename K::Point_2& q,
 				const K& k)
 {
-  if (k.less_signed_distance_to_line_2_object()(l, p, q)) return SMALLER;
-  if (k.less_signed_distance_to_line_2_object()(l, q, p)) return LARGER;
-  return EQUAL;
+  return k.compare_signed_distance_to_line_2_object()(l, p, q);
 }
 
 template < class K >