diff --git a/include/boost/optional/optional_io.hpp b/include/boost/optional/optional_io.hpp
index cc55e7b..0de086d 100644
--- a/include/boost/optional/optional_io.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/optional/optional_io.hpp
@@ -12,8 +12,18 @@
 #ifndef BOOST_OPTIONAL_OPTIONAL_IO_FLC_19NOV2002_HPP
 #define BOOST_OPTIONAL_OPTIONAL_IO_FLC_19NOV2002_HPP
 
-#include<ostream>
-#include<istream>
+# if defined __GNUC__
+#   if (__GNUC__ == 2 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 97) 
+#define BOOST_OPTIONAL_NO_TEMPLATED_STREAMS
+#endif
+#endif // __GNUC__
+
+#if defined BOOST_OPTIONAL_NO_TEMPLATED_STREAMS
+#include <iostream>
+#else 
+#include <istream>
+#include <ostream>
+#endif  
 
 
 #include "boost/optional/optional.hpp"
@@ -22,10 +32,15 @@
 namespace boost
 {
 
+#if defined (BOOST_NO_TEMPLATED_STREAMS)
+template<class T>
+inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, optional<T> const& v)
+#else
 template<class CharType, class CharTrait, class T>
 inline
 std::basic_ostream<CharType, CharTrait>&
 operator<<(std::basic_ostream<CharType, CharTrait>& out, optional<T> const& v)
+#endif
 {
   if ( out.good() )
   {
@@ -37,10 +52,15 @@ operator<<(std::basic_ostream<CharType, CharTrait>& out, optional<T> const& v)
   return out;
 }
 
+#if defined (BOOST_NO_TEMPLATED_STREAMS)
+template<class T>
+inline std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& in, optional<T>& v)
+#else
 template<class CharType, class CharTrait, class T>
 inline
 std::basic_istream<CharType, CharTrait>&
 operator>>(std::basic_istream<CharType, CharTrait>& in, optional<T>& v)
+#else
 {
   if ( in.good() )
   {
diff --git a/test/optional_test_fail3b.cpp b/test/optional_test_fail3b.cpp
index a7d2f1a..8058b8b 100644
--- a/test/optional_test_fail3b.cpp
+++ b/test/optional_test_fail3b.cpp
@@ -13,14 +13,16 @@
 
 #include "boost/optional.hpp"
 
+struct A {} ;
+struct B {} ;
 //
 // THIS TEST SHOULD FAIL TO COMPILE
 //
 void test_no_unsupported_conversion()
 {
-  boost::optional<int> opt1(1) ;
-  boost::optional< std::string > opt2 ;
-  opt2 = opt1 ; // Cannot convert from "int" to "std::string"
+  boost::optional<A> opt1;
+  boost::optional<B> opt2;
+  opt2 = opt1 ; // Cannot convert from "A" to "B"
 }