diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_iprimitive.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_iprimitive.hpp
index ccfae15..2bc028f 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_iprimitive.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_iprimitive.hpp
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ public:
       load_impl(&t, sizeof(T));
     }
 
-    void load( std::string & s)
+    template<class CharType>
+    void load(std::basic_string<CharType> & s)
     {
       unsigned int l;
       load(l);
diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_oprimitive.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_oprimitive.hpp
index 4d0d80e..facf360 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_oprimitive.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/detail/binary_buffer_oprimitive.hpp
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ public:
       save_impl(&t, sizeof(T));
     }
 
-    void save(const std::string &s)
+    template<class CharType>
+    void save(const std::basic_string<CharType> &s)
     {
       unsigned int l = static_cast<unsigned int>(s.size());
       save(l);
diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_iprimitive.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_iprimitive.hpp
index 58ba6bf..9471a00 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_iprimitive.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_iprimitive.hpp
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ public:
         load_impl(&t, get_mpi_datatype(t), 1);
     }
 
-    void load( std::string & s)
+    template<class CharType>
+    void load(std::basic_string<CharType> & s)
     {
        unsigned int l;
         load(l);
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ public:
         #endif
         s.resize(l);
         // note breaking a rule here - could be a problem on some platform
-        load_impl(const_cast<char *>(s.data()),MPI_CHAR,l);
+        load_impl(const_cast<char *>(s.data()),get_mpi_datatype(CharType()),l);
     }
 
 private:
diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_oprimitive.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_oprimitive.hpp
index 84d06b5..eb7ba2f 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_oprimitive.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/detail/packed_oprimitive.hpp
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ public:
         save_impl(&t, get_mpi_datatype<T>(t), 1);
     }
 
-    void save(const std::string &s)
+    template<class CharType>
+    void save(const std::basic_string<CharType> &s)
     {
       unsigned int l = static_cast<unsigned int>(s.size());
       save(l);
-      save_impl(s.data(),MPI_CHAR,s.size());
+      save_impl(s.data(),get_mpi_datatype(CharType()),s.size());
     }
 
 private:
diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/intercommunicator.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/intercommunicator.hpp
index 8a1fd98..ad246b5 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/intercommunicator.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/intercommunicator.hpp
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ private:
    * underlying MPI_Comm. This operation is used for "casting" from a
    * communicator to an intercommunicator.
    */
-  explicit intercommunicator(const shared_ptr<MPI_Comm>& comm_ptr)
+  explicit intercommunicator(const shared_ptr<MPI_Comm>& cp)
   {
-    this->comm_ptr = comm_ptr;
+    this->comm_ptr = cp;
   }
 
 public: