diff --git a/SMDS_3/examples/SMDS_3/tetrahedron_soup_to_c3t3_example.cpp b/SMDS_3/examples/SMDS_3/tetrahedron_soup_to_c3t3_example.cpp
index a4ede84a1ee..aa62bd89398 100644
--- a/SMDS_3/examples/SMDS_3/tetrahedron_soup_to_c3t3_example.cpp
+++ b/SMDS_3/examples/SMDS_3/tetrahedron_soup_to_c3t3_example.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@ int main(int , char* [])
 
   //build a C3T3
   C3T3 c3t3;
-  c3t3.triangulation() = tr;
-  c3t3.rescan_after_load_of_triangulation();
+  c3t3.set_triangulation(tr);
 
   std::cout << "Number of corners: " << c3t3.number_of_corners() << std::endl;
   std::cout << "Number of edges: " << c3t3.number_of_edges() << std::endl;
diff --git a/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_complex_3_in_triangulation_3.h b/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_complex_3_in_triangulation_3.h
index 6255bb26104..fffdb9686a9 100644
--- a/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_complex_3_in_triangulation_3.h
+++ b/SMDS_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_complex_3_in_triangulation_3.h
@@ -351,6 +351,14 @@ public:
     far_vertices_.clear();
   }
 
+  /** sets the internal triangulation to \p tr
+  */
+  void set_triangulation(const Triangulation& tr)
+  {
+    tr_ = tr;
+    rescan_after_load_of_triangulation();
+  }
+
   /** adds cell \p cell to the 3D complex, with subdomain index \p index
   */
   void add_to_complex(const Cell_handle& cell, const Subdomain_index& index)