diff --git a/include/boost/geometry/strategies/cartesian/distance_pythagoras.hpp b/include/boost/geometry/strategies/cartesian/distance_pythagoras.hpp
index 8737ca11f..51d272266 100644
--- a/include/boost/geometry/strategies/cartesian/distance_pythagoras.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/geometry/strategies/cartesian/distance_pythagoras.hpp
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/geometry/strategies/distance.hpp>
 
-#include <boost/geometry/util/select_calculation_type.hpp>
-#include <boost/geometry/util/promote_floating_point.hpp>
+#include <boost/geometry/util/calculation_type.hpp>
 
 
 
@@ -82,7 +81,8 @@ template
 class pythagoras
 {
 public :
-    typedef typename select_calculation_type
+
+    typedef typename util::calculation_type::geometric::binary
             <
                 Point1,
                 Point2,
@@ -136,10 +136,14 @@ class pythagoras
 {
     typedef comparable::pythagoras<Point1, Point2, CalculationType> comparable_type;
 public :
-    typedef typename promote_floating_point
-        <
-            typename services::return_type<comparable_type>::type
-        >::type calculation_type;
+    typedef typename util::calculation_type::geometric::binary
+            <
+                Point1,
+                Point2,
+                CalculationType,
+                double,
+                double // promote integer to double
+            >::type calculation_type;
 
     /*!
     \brief applies the distance calculation using pythagoras
diff --git a/include/boost/geometry/util/calculation_type.hpp b/include/boost/geometry/util/calculation_type.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aef58909e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/boost/geometry/util/calculation_type.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+// Boost.Geometry (aka GGL, Generic Geometry Library)
+
+// Copyright (c) 2012 Barend Gehrels, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
+// Copyright (c) 2012 Bruno Lalande, Paris, France.
+// Copyright (c) 2012 Mateusz Loskot, London, UK.
+
+// Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost Software License,
+// Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+// http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+#ifndef BOOST_GEOMETRY_UTIL_CALCULATION_TYPE_HPP
+#define BOOST_GEOMETRY_UTIL_CALCULATION_TYPE_HPP
+
+#include <boost/config.hpp>
+#include <boost/mpl/if.hpp>
+#include <boost/type_traits.hpp>
+
+#include <boost/geometry/util/select_coordinate_type.hpp>
+#include <boost/geometry/util/select_most_precise.hpp>
+
+
+namespace boost { namespace geometry
+{
+
+namespace util
+{
+
+namespace detail
+{
+
+struct default_integral
+{
+#ifdef BOOST_HAS_LONG_LONG
+    typedef boost::long_long_type type;
+#else
+    typedef int type;
+#endif    
+};
+
+/*!
+\details Selects the most appropriate:
+    - if calculation type is specified (not void), that one is used
+    - else if type is non-fundamental (user defined e.g. ttmath), that one
+    - else if type is floating point, the specified default FP is used
+    - else it is integral and the specified default integral is used
+ */
+template
+<
+    typename Type,
+    typename CalculationType,
+    typename DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType,
+    typename DefaultIntegralCalculationType
+>
+struct calculation_type
+{
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT((
+        boost::is_fundamental
+            <
+                DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType
+            >::type::value
+        ));
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT((
+        boost::is_fundamental
+            <
+                DefaultIntegralCalculationType
+            >::type::value
+        ));
+    
+
+    typedef typename boost::mpl::if_
+        <
+            boost::is_void<CalculationType>,
+            typename boost::mpl::if_
+                <
+                    boost::is_floating_point<Type>,
+                    typename select_most_precise
+                        <
+                            DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType,
+                            Type
+                        >::type,
+                    typename select_most_precise
+                        <
+                            DefaultIntegralCalculationType,
+                            Type
+                        >::type
+                >::type,
+            CalculationType
+        >::type type;
+};
+
+} // namespace detail
+
+
+namespace calculation_type
+{
+
+namespace geometric
+{
+
+template
+<
+    typename Geometry,
+    typename CalculationType,
+    typename DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType = double,
+    typename DefaultIntegralCalculationType = detail::default_integral::type
+>
+struct unary
+{
+    typedef typename detail::calculation_type
+        <
+            typename geometry::coordinate_type<Geometry>::type,
+            CalculationType,
+            DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType,
+            DefaultIntegralCalculationType
+        >::type type;
+};
+
+template
+<
+    typename Geometry1,
+    typename Geometry2,
+    typename CalculationType,
+    typename DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType = double,
+    typename DefaultIntegralCalculationType = detail::default_integral::type
+>
+struct binary
+{
+    typedef typename detail::calculation_type
+        <
+            typename select_coordinate_type<Geometry1, Geometry2>::type,
+            CalculationType,
+            DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType,
+            DefaultIntegralCalculationType
+        >::type type;
+};
+
+
+/*!
+\brief calculation type (ternary, for three geometry types)
+ */
+template
+<
+    typename Geometry1,
+    typename Geometry2,
+    typename Geometry3,
+    typename CalculationType,
+    typename DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType = double,
+    typename DefaultIntegralCalculationType = detail::default_integral::type
+>
+struct ternary
+{
+    typedef typename detail::calculation_type
+        <
+            typename select_most_precise
+                <
+                    typename coordinate_type<Geometry1>::type, 
+                    typename select_coordinate_type
+                        <
+                            Geometry2,
+                            Geometry3
+                        >::type 
+                >::type,
+            CalculationType,
+            DefaultFloatingPointCalculationType,
+            DefaultIntegralCalculationType
+        >::type type;
+};
+
+}} // namespace calculation_type::geometric
+
+} // namespace util
+
+}} // namespace boost::geometry
+
+
+#endif // BOOST_GEOMETRY_UTIL_CALCULATION_TYPE_HPP