diff --git a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/ForwardDeclarations.hh b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/ForwardDeclarations.hh
index 5a17c534d740c30730e41ea69885b8adeb94c1cc..6b594ce9da90ca3270e0867e5e76879b491ee021 100644
--- a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/ForwardDeclarations.hh
+++ b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/ForwardDeclarations.hh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT;
 template <class E, typename >
 class PropHandleT;
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
 class PropertyPtr;
 
 template<typename T, typename Entity>
diff --git a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefines.hh b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefines.hh
index 118c813d4725fb7d7557e7f34805052023dc116f..939c9d2e74605edf642b0320bb477c7512a277e0 100644
--- a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefines.hh
+++ b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefines.hh
@@ -82,14 +82,12 @@ template <> const std::string entityTypeName<Entity::Cell>();
 template <> const std::string entityTypeName<Entity::Mesh>();
 
 template<typename T, typename Entity>
-class PropertyTT : public PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, PropHandleT<Entity>> {
+class PropertyTT : public PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, Entity> {
 public:
     using PropertyHandleT = OpenVolumeMesh::PropHandleT<Entity>;
     PropertyTT(const std::string& _name, ResourceManager& _resMan, PropertyHandleT _handle, const T _def = T());
     virtual ~PropertyTT() = default;
     virtual BaseProperty* clone(ResourceManager &_resMan, OpenVolumeMeshHandle _handle) const;
-    virtual void serialize(std::ostream& _ostr) const;
-    virtual void deserialize(std::istream& _istr);
     virtual const std::string entityType() const { return entityTypeName<Entity>(); }
     virtual const std::string typeNameWrapper() const { return typeName<T>(); }
 private:
diff --git a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefinesT_impl.hh b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefinesT_impl.hh
index 74fa17271f2de60776d50f7c681172f1fc471f8e..edb35dd73d7123bae87e0de9d42c37cc1668338d 100644
--- a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefinesT_impl.hh
+++ b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyDefinesT_impl.hh
@@ -32,14 +32,6 @@
  *                                                                           *
 \*===========================================================================*/
 
-/*===========================================================================*\
- *                                                                           *
- *   $Revision$                                                         *
- *   $Date$                    *
- *   $LastChangedBy$                                                *
- *                                                                           *
-\*===========================================================================*/
-
 #define PROPERTYDEFINEST_CC
 
 #include <istream>
@@ -51,13 +43,13 @@ namespace OpenVolumeMesh {
 
 template<typename T, typename Entity>
 PropertyTT<T,Entity>::PropertyTT(const std::string& _name, ResourceManager& _resMan, PropertyHandleT _handle, const T _def) :
-        PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, PropertyHandleT>(new OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>(_name, _def), _resMan, _handle) {
+        PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, Entity>(new OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>(_name, _def), _resMan, _handle) {
 
 }
 
 template<typename T, typename Entity>
 PropertyTT<T,Entity>::PropertyTT(OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T> *_prop, ResourceManager &_resMan, PropertyHandleT _handle) :
-        PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, PropertyHandleT>(_prop, _resMan, _handle)
+        PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, Entity>(_prop, _resMan, _handle)
 {
 }
 
@@ -68,16 +60,6 @@ BaseProperty *PropertyTT<T,Entity>::clone(ResourceManager &_resMan, OpenVolumeMe
     return new PropertyTT<T, Entity>(prop_clone, _resMan, PropertyHandleT(_handle.idx()));
 }
 
-template<typename T, typename Entity>
-void PropertyTT<T,Entity>::serialize(std::ostream& _ostr) const {
-    PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, PropertyHandleT>::get()->serialize(_ostr);
-}
-
-template<typename T, typename Entity>
-void PropertyTT<T,Entity>::deserialize(std::istream& _istr) {
-    PropertyPtr<OpenVolumeMeshPropertyT<T>, PropertyHandleT>::get()->deserialize(_istr);
-}
-
 template<typename T>
 const std::string typeName() {
     throw std::runtime_error("Serialization is not supported for these data types!");
diff --git a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtr.hh b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtr.hh
index 6ceaa9a92131894a5b4c401eb32652e1f0a2c6dc..4d666e608c6ef16256948a4412d1dd95af243130 100644
--- a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtr.hh
+++ b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtr.hh
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include "PropertyHandles.hh"
 #include "BaseProperty.hh"
 #include "OpenVolumeMeshHandle.hh"
 #include "../System/MemoryInclude.hh"
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ class ResourceManager;
  * as soon as the object is not used anymore.
  */
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
 class PropertyPtr : protected ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>, public BaseProperty {
 public:
 
@@ -66,10 +67,10 @@ public:
     typedef typename PropT::reference                   reference;
     typedef typename PropT::const_reference             const_reference;
 
-    typedef OpenVolumeMesh::HandleT<typename HandleT::Entity>  EntityHandleT;
+    using EntityHandleT = HandleT<Entity>;
 
     /// Constructor
-    PropertyPtr(PropT* _ptr, ResourceManager& _resMan, HandleT _handle);
+    PropertyPtr(PropT* _ptr, ResourceManager& _resMan, PropHandleT<Entity> _handle);
 
     /// Destructor
     virtual ~PropertyPtr();
@@ -100,6 +101,9 @@ public:
     reference operator[](const EntityHandleT& _h) { return (*ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get())[_h.idx()]; }
     const_reference operator[](const EntityHandleT& _h) const { return (*ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get())[_h.idx()]; }
 
+    virtual void serialize(std::ostream& _ostr) const { ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->serialize(_ostr); }
+    virtual void deserialize(std::istream& _istr) { ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->deserialize(_istr); }
+
     virtual OpenVolumeMeshHandle handle() const;
 
     virtual bool persistent() const { return ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->persistent(); }
diff --git a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtrT_impl.hh b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtrT_impl.hh
index 91de79856e8ecd00a58b6d3b97ee4204cc270d08..e31ff3c0401ffdb51ea27f0b470471635f59d0a9 100644
--- a/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtrT_impl.hh
+++ b/src/OpenVolumeMesh/Core/PropertyPtrT_impl.hh
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@
 
 namespace OpenVolumeMesh {
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::PropertyPtr(PropT* _ptr, ResourceManager& _resMan, HandleT _handle) :
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::PropertyPtr(PropT* _ptr, ResourceManager& _resMan, PropHandleT<Entity> _handle) :
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>(_ptr), BaseProperty(_resMan) {
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->set_handle(_handle);
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::~PropertyPtr() {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::~PropertyPtr() {
 
     /*
      * If use count is 2 and prop is not set persistent,
@@ -55,48 +55,48 @@ PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::~PropertyPtr() {
      * only one who stores the property.
      */
     if(!locked() && !persistent() && ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::use_count() == 2) {
-        resMan_.release_property(HandleT(handle().idx()));
+        resMan_.release_property(PropHandleT<Entity>(handle().idx()));
         unlock();
     }
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-void PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::resize(size_t _size) {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+void PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::resize(size_t _size) {
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->resize(_size);
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-const std::string& PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::name() const {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+const std::string& PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::name() const {
     return ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->name();
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-void PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::delete_element(size_t _idx) {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+void PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::delete_element(size_t _idx) {
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->delete_element(_idx);
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-void PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::swap_elements(size_t _idx0, size_t _idx1) {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+void PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::swap_elements(size_t _idx0, size_t _idx1) {
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->swap(_idx0, _idx1);
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-void PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::copy(size_t _src_idx, size_t _dst_idx) {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+void PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::copy(size_t _src_idx, size_t _dst_idx) {
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->copy(_src_idx, _dst_idx);
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-void PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::set_handle(const OpenVolumeMeshHandle& _handle) {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+void PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::set_handle(const OpenVolumeMeshHandle& _handle) {
     return ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->set_handle(_handle);
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-OpenVolumeMeshHandle PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::handle() const {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+OpenVolumeMeshHandle PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::handle() const {
     return ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->handle();
 }
 
-template <class PropT, class HandleT>
-void PropertyPtr<PropT,HandleT>::delete_multiple_entries(const std::vector<bool>& _tags) {
+template <class PropT, typename Entity>
+void PropertyPtr<PropT,Entity>::delete_multiple_entries(const std::vector<bool>& _tags) {
     ptr::shared_ptr<PropT>::get()->delete_multiple_entries(_tags);
 }