diff --git a/Surface_mesh_simplification/test/Surface_mesh_simplification/issue_8213.cpp b/Surface_mesh_simplification/test/Surface_mesh_simplification/issue_8213.cpp
index be6b26d0fb7..ca4da904544 100644
--- a/Surface_mesh_simplification/test/Surface_mesh_simplification/issue_8213.cpp
+++ b/Surface_mesh_simplification/test/Surface_mesh_simplification/issue_8213.cpp
@@ -1,44 +1,75 @@
 #include <CGAL/Simple_cartesian.h>
+#include <CGAL/Exact_predicates_exact_constructions_kernel.h>
+
 #include <CGAL/Surface_mesh.h>
+
+#define CGAL_CHECK_EXPENSIVE
+
+#define CGAL_SURFACE_SIMPLIFICATION_ENABLE_TRACE 5
+#define CGAL_SURFACE_SIMPLIFICATION_ENABLE_LT_TRACE 4
+
+void Surface_simplification_external_trace(const std::string& s)
+{
+  std::cout << s << std::endl;
+}
+
 #include <CGAL/Surface_mesh_simplification/edge_collapse.h>
 #include <CGAL/Surface_mesh_simplification/Policies/Edge_collapse/Bounded_normal_change_filter.h>
 #include <CGAL/Surface_mesh_simplification/Policies/Edge_collapse/Face_count_stop_predicate.h>
 #include <CGAL/Surface_mesh_simplification/Policies/Edge_collapse/LindstromTurk_cost.h>
 #include <CGAL/Surface_mesh_simplification/Policies/Edge_collapse/LindstromTurk_placement.h>
 
+#include <CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/bbox.h>
+
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <fstream>
 
 namespace SMS = CGAL::Surface_mesh_simplification;
+namespace PMP = CGAL::Polygon_mesh_processing;
 
-typedef CGAL::Simple_cartesian<double> Kernel;
-typedef CGAL::Surface_mesh<Kernel::Point_3> Surface_mesh;
-
-int main() {
-
-  std::string filename("data/issue_8213.off");
-
-  Surface_mesh surface_mesh;
-
-  std::ifstream in(filename);
-  in >> surface_mesh;
-
-  const size_t target_number_of_faces = 3;
-  SMS::Face_count_stop_predicate<Surface_mesh> stop(target_number_of_faces);
-
-  std::cout << "Input mesh number of faces: " << surface_mesh.number_of_faces() << ", target number of faces: " << target_number_of_faces << std::endl;
-
-  SMS::edge_collapse(
-    surface_mesh,
-    stop,
-    CGAL::parameters::
-       filter(SMS::Bounded_normal_change_filter<>())
-      .get_cost(SMS::LindstromTurk_cost<Surface_mesh>())
-      .get_placement(SMS::LindstromTurk_placement<Surface_mesh>())
-    );
+using Kernel = CGAL::Simple_cartesian<double>;
+// using Kernel = CGAL::Exact_predicates_exact_constructions_kernel;
+using Surface_mesh = CGAL::Surface_mesh<Kernel::Point_3>;
 
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
   std::cout.precision(17);
-  std::cout <<  surface_mesh << std::endl;
+  std::cerr.precision(17);
+
+  const char* filename = (argc > 1) ? argv[1] : "data/issue_8213.off";
+
+  Surface_mesh sm;
+
+  if(!CGAL::IO::read_polygon_mesh(filename, sm))
+  {
+    std::cerr << "Error: failed to read input data" << std::endl;
+    return EXIT_FAILURE;
+  }
+
+  CGAL::Bbox_3 bbox = PMP::bbox(sm);
+
+  std::cout << "Input mesh has " << num_vertices(sm) << " vertices" << std::endl;
+  std::cout << "Input mesh has " << num_faces(sm) << " faces" << std::endl;
+
+  SMS::Face_count_stop_predicate<Surface_mesh> stop(1);
+  SMS::edge_collapse(sm, stop,
+                     CGAL::parameters::filter(SMS::Bounded_normal_change_filter<>())
+                                      .get_cost(SMS::LindstromTurk_cost<Surface_mesh>())
+                                      .get_placement(SMS::LindstromTurk_placement<Surface_mesh>()));
+
+  CGAL::IO::write_OFF(std::cout, sm, CGAL::parameters::stream_precision(17));
+
+  for(auto v : vertices(sm))
+  {
+    // To be within the bounding box isn't a guarantee, but here it is a sufficient test
+    // to check if things went awry
+    if(!CGAL::do_overlap(bbox, sm.point(v).bbox()))
+    {
+      std::cerr << "Error: " << sm.point(v) << " is outside the initial bbox" << std::endl;
+      return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
+  }
+
   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }