diff --git a/HalfedgeDS/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_HalfedgeDS_base.h b/HalfedgeDS/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_HalfedgeDS_base.h
index d2a1f11653b..489caf5e3c7 100644
--- a/HalfedgeDS/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_HalfedgeDS_base.h
+++ b/HalfedgeDS/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_HalfedgeDS_base.h
@@ -139,13 +139,13 @@ get(PropertyTag p,CGAL_HDS_CLASS const& g, const Key& key)
 
 
 
-#define DECLARE_HDS_DYNAMIC_PM(TAG, DESCRIPTOR)                             \
+#define DECLARE_HDS_DYNAMIC_PM(TAG, DESCRIPTOR)                                  \
 template <typename CGAL_HDS_TMPLT, class T>                                      \
 typename boost::property_map<CGAL_HDS_CLASS, TAG >::const_type                   \
-get(const TAG&, const CGAL_HDS_CLASS&)                                           \
-{                                                                           \
+get(const TAG&, const CGAL_HDS_CLASS&, const T& dv = T())                        \
+{                                                                                \
   typedef typename boost::graph_traits< CGAL_HDS_CLASS >::DESCRIPTOR descriptor; \
-  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<descriptor,T>();                    \
+  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<descriptor,T>(dv);                       \
 }
 
 DECLARE_HDS_DYNAMIC_PM(dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>, vertex_descriptor)
diff --git a/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/Non_manifold_feature_map.h b/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/Non_manifold_feature_map.h
index 8177a02d178..51ca7e6587c 100644
--- a/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/Non_manifold_feature_map.h
+++ b/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/Non_manifold_feature_map.h
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ struct Non_manifold_feature_map
       halfedge_descriptor hd = halfedge(ed, pm);
 
       // an edge can be non-manifold only if both its vertices are non-manifold
+      // THIS IS NOT TRUE!
       if ( get(v_nm_id, source(hd, pm))==std::size_t(-1) ||
            get(v_nm_id, target(hd, pm))==std::size_t(-1) ) continue;
 
diff --git a/Property_map/include/CGAL/Dynamic_property_map.h b/Property_map/include/CGAL/Dynamic_property_map.h
index a7dc48b5354..818d5e274fe 100644
--- a/Property_map/include/CGAL/Dynamic_property_map.h
+++ b/Property_map/include/CGAL/Dynamic_property_map.h
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ struct Dynamic_with_index
     : m_values()
   {}
 
-  Dynamic_with_index(std::size_t num_features)
-    : m_values( new std::vector<value_type>(num_features) )
+  Dynamic_with_index(std::size_t num_features, Value default_value = Value())
+    : m_values( new std::vector<value_type>(num_features, default_value) )
   {}
 
   friend reference get(const Dynamic_with_index& m, const key_type& k)
@@ -229,34 +229,34 @@ namespace CGAL {
 
 template <typename T, typename G>
 typename boost::property_map<G, dynamic_vertex_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(const CGAL::dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>&, const G&)
+get(const CGAL::dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>&, const G&, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::graph_traits<G>::vertex_descriptor vertex_descriptor;
-  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<vertex_descriptor,T>();
+  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<vertex_descriptor,T>(default_value);
 }
 
 template <typename T, typename G>
 typename boost::property_map<G, dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(const CGAL::dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T>&, const G&)
+get(const CGAL::dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T>&, const G&, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::graph_traits<G>::halfedge_descriptor halfedge_descriptor;
-  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<halfedge_descriptor,T>();
+  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<halfedge_descriptor,T>(default_value);
 }
 
 template <typename T, typename G>
 typename boost::property_map<G, dynamic_edge_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(const CGAL::dynamic_edge_property_t<T>&, const G&)
+get(const CGAL::dynamic_edge_property_t<T>&, const G&, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::graph_traits<G>::edge_descriptor edge_descriptor;
-  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<edge_descriptor,T>();
+  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<edge_descriptor,T>(default_value);
 }
 
 template <typename T, typename G>
 typename boost::property_map<G, dynamic_face_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(const CGAL::dynamic_face_property_t<T>&, const G&)
+get(const CGAL::dynamic_face_property_t<T>&, const G&, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::graph_traits<G>::face_descriptor face_descriptor;
-  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<face_descriptor,T>();
+  return internal::Dynamic_property_map<face_descriptor,T>(default_value);
 }
 
 template<typename G, typename Descriptor, typename T>
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 281c2b37093..43fc21f10b3 100644
--- a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Surface_mesh.h
+++ b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/properties_Surface_mesh.h
@@ -353,67 +353,67 @@ namespace CGAL {
 // get functions for dynamic properties of mutable Surface_mesh
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<CGAL::Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_vertex_property_t<T> >::type
-get(dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_vertex_property_t<T> >::SMPM SMPM;
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_vertex_property_t<T> >::type DPM;
-  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Vertex_index, T>(std::string()).first));
+  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Vertex_index, T>(std::string(), default_value).first));
 }
 
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_face_property_t<T> >::type
-get(dynamic_face_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_face_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_face_property_t<T> >::SMPM SMPM;
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_face_property_t<T> >::type DPM;
-  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Face_index, T>(std::string()).first));
+  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Face_index, T>(std::string(), default_value).first));
 }
 
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_edge_property_t<T> >::type
-get(dynamic_edge_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_edge_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_edge_property_t<T> >::SMPM SMPM;
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_edge_property_t<T> >::type DPM;
-  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Edge_index, T>(std::string()).first));
+  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Edge_index, T>(std::string(), default_value).first));
 }
 
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T> >::type
-get(dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T>, Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T> >::SMPM SMPM;
   typedef typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T> >::type DPM;
-  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Halfedge_index, T>(std::string()).first));
+  return DPM(sm, new SMPM(sm.template add_property_map<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Halfedge_index, T>(std::string(), default_value).first));
 }
 
 // get functions for dynamic properties of const Surface_mesh
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_vertex_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_vertex_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
-  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Vertex_index, T>(num_vertices(sm));
+  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Vertex_index, T>(num_vertices(sm), default_value);
 }
 
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_face_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(dynamic_face_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_face_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
-  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Face_index, T>(num_faces(sm));
+  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Face_index, T>(num_faces(sm), default_value);
 }
 
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_halfedge_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
-  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Halfedge_index, T>(num_halfedges(sm));
+  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Halfedge_index, T>(num_halfedges(sm), default_value);
 }
 
 template <typename Point, typename T>
 typename boost::property_map<Surface_mesh<Point>, dynamic_edge_property_t<T> >::const_type
-get(dynamic_edge_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm)
+get(dynamic_edge_property_t<T>, const Surface_mesh<Point>& sm, const T& default_value = T())
 {
-  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Edge_index, T>(num_edges(sm));
+  return CGAL::internal::Dynamic_with_index<typename Surface_mesh<Point>::Edge_index, T>(num_edges(sm), default_value);
 }
 
 // implementation detail: required by Dynamic_property_map_deleter