diff --git a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/Surface_mesh.h b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/Surface_mesh.h
index dc30f94af43..a08689efaeb 100644
--- a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/Surface_mesh.h
+++ b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/Surface_mesh/Surface_mesh.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <CGAL/Named_function_parameters.h>
 #include <CGAL/circulator.h>
 #include <CGAL/Handle_hash_function.h>
+#include <CGAL/IO/Verbose_ostream.h>
 #include <CGAL/Iterator_range.h>
 #include <CGAL/property_map.h>
 
@@ -1466,7 +1467,7 @@ public:
 
     /// perform an expensive validity check on the data structure and
     /// print found errors to `std::cerr` when `verbose == true`.
-  bool is_valid(bool verbose = true) const
+    bool is_valid(bool verbose = true) const
     {
         bool valid = true;
         size_type vcount = 0, hcount = 0, fcount = 0;
@@ -1578,21 +1579,29 @@ public:
     }
 
     /// performs a validity check on a single vertex.
-    bool is_valid(Vertex_index v) const {
+    bool is_valid(Vertex_index v,
+                  bool verbose = true) const
+    {
+        Verbose_ostream verr(verbose);
+
         if(!has_valid_index(v))
          return false;
 
         Halfedge_index h = vconn_[v].halfedge_;
-        if(h!= null_halfedge() && (!has_valid_index(h) || is_removed(h))) {
-          std::cerr << "Vertex connectivity halfedge error in " << (size_type)v
-                    << " with " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
-            return false;
+        if(h != null_halfedge() && (!has_valid_index(h) || is_removed(h))) {
+          verr << "Vertex connectivity halfedge error: Vertex " << (size_type)v
+               << " with " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
+          return false;
         }
         return true;
     }
 
     /// performs a validity check on a single halfedge.
-    bool is_valid(Halfedge_index h) const {
+    bool is_valid(Halfedge_index h,
+                  bool verbose = true) const
+    {
+        Verbose_ostream verr(verbose);
+
         if(!has_valid_index(h))
           return false;
 
@@ -1605,30 +1614,30 @@ public:
         // don't validate the face if this is a border halfedge
         if(!is_border(h)) {
             if(!has_valid_index(f) || is_removed(f)) {
-                std::cerr << "Halfedge connectivity Face "
-                          << (!has_valid_index(f) ? "invalid" : "removed")
-                          << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
+                verr << "Halfedge connectivity error: Face "
+                     << (!has_valid_index(f) ? "invalid" : "removed")
+                     << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
                 valid = false;
             }
         }
 
         if(!has_valid_index(v) || is_removed(v)) {
-            std::cerr << "Halfedge connectivity Vertex "
-                      << (!has_valid_index(v) ? "invalid" : "removed")
-                      << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
+            verr << "Halfedge connectivity error: Vertex "
+                 << (!has_valid_index(v) ? "invalid" : "removed")
+                 << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
             valid = false;
         }
 
         if(!has_valid_index(hn) || is_removed(hn)) {
-            std::cerr << "Halfedge connectivity hnext "
-                      << (!has_valid_index(hn) ? "invalid" : "removed")
-                      << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
+            verr << "Halfedge connectivity error: hnext "
+                 << (!has_valid_index(hn) ? "invalid" : "removed")
+                 << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
             valid = false;
         }
         if(!has_valid_index(hp) || is_removed(hp)) {
-            std::cerr << "Halfedge connectivity hprev "
-                      << (!has_valid_index(hp) ? "invalid" : "removed")
-                      << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
+            verr << "Halfedge connectivity error: hprev "
+                 << (!has_valid_index(hp) ? "invalid" : "removed")
+                 << " in " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
             valid = false;
         }
         return valid;
@@ -1636,25 +1645,31 @@ public:
 
 
     /// performs a validity check on a single edge.
-    bool is_valid(Edge_index e) const {
+    bool is_valid(Edge_index e,
+                  bool verbose = true) const
+    {
       if(!has_valid_index(e))
         return false;
 
       Halfedge_index h = halfedge(e);
-      return is_valid(h) && is_valid(opposite(h));
+      return is_valid(h, verbose) && is_valid(opposite(h), verbose);
     }
 
 
     /// performs a validity check on a single face.
-    bool is_valid(Face_index f) const {
+    bool is_valid(Face_index f,
+                  bool verbose = true) const
+    {
+        Verbose_ostream verr(verbose);
+
         if(!has_valid_index(f))
           return false;
 
         Halfedge_index h = fconn_[f].halfedge_;
         if(!has_valid_index(h) || is_removed(h)) {
-          std::cerr << "Face connectivity halfedge error in " << (size_type)f
-                      << " with " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
-            return false;
+          verr << "Face connectivity halfedge error: Face " << (size_type)f
+               << " with " << (size_type)h << std::endl;
+          return false;
         }
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/graph_traits_Surface_mesh.h b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/graph_traits_Surface_mesh.h
index 547b8374776..d044c38a557 100644
--- a/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/graph_traits_Surface_mesh.h
+++ b/Surface_mesh/include/CGAL/boost/graph/graph_traits_Surface_mesh.h
@@ -528,6 +528,51 @@ template<typename P>
 void normalize_border(const CGAL::Surface_mesh<P>&)
 {}
 
+
+template <typename P>
+bool is_valid_vertex_descriptor(typename boost::graph_traits<CGAL::Surface_mesh<P> >::vertex_descriptor v,
+                                const CGAL::Surface_mesh<P>& g,
+                                const bool verbose = false)
+{
+  if(!g.is_valid(v, verbose))
+    return false;
+
+  return BGL::is_valid_vertex_descriptor(v, g, verbose);
+}
+
+template <typename P>
+bool is_valid_halfedge_descriptor(typename boost::graph_traits<CGAL::Surface_mesh<P> >::halfedge_descriptor h,
+                                  const CGAL::Surface_mesh<P>& g,
+                                  const bool verbose = false)
+{
+  if(!g.is_valid(h, verbose))
+    return false;
+
+  return BGL::is_valid_halfedge_descriptor(h, g, verbose);
+}
+
+template <typename P>
+bool is_valid_edge_descriptor(typename boost::graph_traits<CGAL::Surface_mesh<P> >::edge_descriptor e,
+                              const CGAL::Surface_mesh<P>& g,
+                              const bool verbose = false)
+{
+  if(!g.is_valid(e, verbose))
+    return false;
+
+  return BGL::is_valid_edge_descriptor(e, g, verbose);
+}
+
+template <typename P>
+bool is_valid_face_descriptor(typename boost::graph_traits<CGAL::Surface_mesh<P> >::face_descriptor f,
+                              const CGAL::Surface_mesh<P>& g,
+                              const bool verbose = false)
+{
+  if(!g.is_valid(f, verbose))
+    return false;
+
+  return BGL::is_valid_face_descriptor(f, g, verbose);
+}
+
 } // namespace CGAL
 
 #endif // DOXYGEN_RUNNING