diff --git a/Convex_hull_3/examples/Convex_hull_3/quickhull_indexed_triangle_set_3.cpp b/Convex_hull_3/examples/Convex_hull_3/quickhull_indexed_triangle_set_3.cpp
index 676adc30c29..1d524c31ebb 100644
--- a/Convex_hull_3/examples/Convex_hull_3/quickhull_indexed_triangle_set_3.cpp
+++ b/Convex_hull_3/examples/Convex_hull_3/quickhull_indexed_triangle_set_3.cpp
@@ -3,28 +3,31 @@
 #include <CGAL/convex_hull_3.h>
 
 #include <vector>
+#include <array>
 #include <fstream>
 
 
 typedef CGAL::Exact_predicates_inexact_constructions_kernel  K;
 typedef K::Point_3                                Point_3;
-typedef CGAL::Indexed_triangle_set<Point_3>               Surface_mesh;
 
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
   std::ifstream in( (argc>1)? argv[1] : "data/cube.xyz");
   std::vector<Point_3> points;
+
+  std::vector<Point_3> vertices;
+  std::vector<std::array<int,3> > faces;
+
   Point_3 p;
   while(in >> p){
     points.push_back(p);
   }
 
-  Surface_mesh sm;
-  CGAL::convex_hull_3(points.begin(), points.end(), sm);
+  
+  CGAL::convex_hull_3(points.begin(), points.end(), vertices, faces);
 
-  std::cout << sm << std::endl;
-  //std::cout << "The convex hull contains " << num_vertices(sm) << " vertices" << std::endl;
+  std::cout << vertices.size() << "  " << faces.size() << std::endl;
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/Indexed_triangle_set.h b/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/Indexed_triangle_set.h
index 371aa9337a9..9d76cdf68d1 100644
--- a/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/Indexed_triangle_set.h
+++ b/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/Indexed_triangle_set.h
@@ -27,8 +27,13 @@ namespace CGAL {
 template <typename P>
 struct Indexed_triangle_set
 {
-  std::vector<P> vertices;
-  std::vector<std::array<int,3> > faces;
+  std::vector<P>& vertices;
+  std::vector<std::array<int,3> >& faces;
+
+  Indexed_triangle_set(std::vector<P>& vertices,
+		       std::vector<std::array<int,3> >& faces)
+    : vertices(vertices), faces(faces)
+  {}
 };
 
 
diff --git a/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/convex_hull_3.h b/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/convex_hull_3.h
index e6ff827f2cb..4076e75a815 100644
--- a/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/convex_hull_3.h
+++ b/Convex_hull_3/include/CGAL/convex_hull_3.h
@@ -1085,6 +1085,19 @@ void convex_hull_3(const VertexListGraph& g,
   convex_hull_3(g,pm,CGAL::parameters::all_default());
 }
 
+template <class InputIterator, class P>
+void convex_hull_3(InputIterator first, InputIterator beyond,
+                   std::vector<P>& vertices,
+		           std::vector<std::array<int,3> >& faces,
+                   typename std::enable_if<CGAL::is_iterator<InputIterator>::value>::type* = 0)
+{
+  typedef typename std::iterator_traits<InputIterator>::value_type Point_3;
+  typedef typename Kernel_traits<Point_3>::type Traits;
+
+  Indexed_triangle_set<Point_3> its(vertices,faces);
+  convex_hull_3(first, beyond, its, Traits());
+}
+
 template <class InputRange, class OutputIterator, class Traits>
 OutputIterator
 extreme_points_3(const InputRange& range,