diff --git a/include/boost/tuple/tuple_io.hpp b/include/boost/tuple/tuple_io.hpp
index 2dd7474..77f9c99 100644
--- a/include/boost/tuple/tuple_io.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/tuple/tuple_io.hpp
@@ -187,10 +187,6 @@ print(std::basic_ostream<CharType, CharTrait>& o, const cons<T1, T2>& t) {
    
   o << t.head;
 
-#if defined(BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION)
-  if (tuples::length<T2>::value == 0)
-    return o;
-#endif  // BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION
   o << d;
 
   return print(o, t.tail);
@@ -316,10 +312,6 @@ read(std::basic_istream<CharType, CharTrait> &is, cons<T1, T2>& t1) {
    
   is >> t1.head;
 
-#if defined(BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION)
-  if (tuples::length<T2>::value == 0)
-    return is;
-#endif  // BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION
 
   extract_and_check_delimiter(is, format_info::delimiter);