diff --git a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/function_objects.h b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/function_objects.h
index 1d698f65b6e..4b06db737af 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/function_objects.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/function_objects.h
@@ -37,6 +37,41 @@ namespace CGAL {
 
 namespace CommonKernelFunctors {
 
+
+
+  template <typename K>
+  class Non_zero_dimension_3
+  {
+    typedef typename K::Vector_3 Vector_3;
+
+  public:
+    typedef int result_type;
+
+    int operator()(const Vector_3& vec) const
+    {
+      int dir = -1;
+      if(certainly_not(is_zero(vec.x()))){
+        dir = 0;
+      } else if(certainly_not(is_zero(vec.y()))){
+        dir = 1;
+      }else if(certainly_not(is_zero(vec.y()))){
+        dir = 2;
+      }
+
+      if(dir == -1){
+        if(! is_zero(vec.x())){
+          return 0;
+        } else if(! is_zero(vec.y())){
+          return 1;
+        } else if(! is_zero(vec.z())){
+          return 2;
+        }
+      }
+      return dir;
+    }
+  };
+
+
   template <typename K>
   class Are_ordered_along_line_2
   {
diff --git a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/interface_macros.h b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/interface_macros.h
index a4caf77e7be..668749ff3d5 100644
--- a/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/interface_macros.h
+++ b/Kernel_23/include/CGAL/Kernel/interface_macros.h
@@ -582,6 +582,8 @@ CGAL_Kernel_pred(Less_y_3,
                  less_y_3_object)
 CGAL_Kernel_pred(Less_z_3,
                  less_z_3_object)
+CGAL_Kernel_pred(Non_zero_dimension_3,
+                 non_zero_dimension_3_object)
 CGAL_Kernel_pred_RT(Orientation_2,
                     orientation_2_object)
 CGAL_Kernel_pred_RT(Orientation_3,
diff --git a/Nef_3/include/CGAL/Nef_3/bounded_side_3.h b/Nef_3/include/CGAL/Nef_3/bounded_side_3.h
index a34ed350fd4..90ff227e88c 100644
--- a/Nef_3/include/CGAL/Nef_3/bounded_side_3.h
+++ b/Nef_3/include/CGAL/Nef_3/bounded_side_3.h
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ Bounded_side bounded_side_3(IteratorForward first,
        we don't need to care about the plane orientation */
   }
 
-
-
+  typename R::Non_zero_dimension_3 non_zero_dimension_3;
+  int dir = non_zero_dimension_3(plane.orthogonal_vector());
+#if 0
   auto apv = approx(plane.orthogonal_vector());
 
   int dir = 0;
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ Bounded_side bounded_side_3(IteratorForward first,
   if(CGAL::abs(apv.z().sup()) > max){
     dir = 2;
   }
-
+#endif
 
   CGAL_assertion(!plane.is_degenerate());
   Point_2 (*t)(const Point_3&);