diff --git a/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/default_ops.hpp b/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/default_ops.hpp
index 9ab878b3..6aa0b489 100644
--- a/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/default_ops.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/default_ops.hpp
@@ -1699,6 +1699,21 @@ inline int eval_signbit(const T& val)
    return eval_get_sign(val) < 0 ? 1 : 0;
 }
 
+//
+// Real and imaginary parts:
+//
+template <class To, class From>
+inline void eval_real(To& to, const From& from)
+{
+   to = from;
+}
+template <class To, class From>
+inline void eval_imag(To& to, const From& from)
+{
+   typedef typename mpl::front<typename To::unsigned_types>::type ui_type;
+   to = ui_type(0);
+}
+
 //
 // These functions are implemented in separate files, but expanded inline here,
 // DO NOT CHANGE THE ORDER OF THESE INCLUDES:
@@ -1830,12 +1845,27 @@ inline typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_
    return copysign BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION(value_type(a), value_type(b));
 }
 //
-// Complex number functions, these are overloaded at the Backend level, we just provide the
-// expression template versions here:
+// real and imag:
 //
+template <class Backend, multiprecision::expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
+inline typename real_and_imag_result<multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
+   real(const multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates>& a)
+{
+   typename real_and_imag_result<multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type result;
+   eval_real(result.backend(), a.backend());
+   return result;
+}
+template <class Backend, multiprecision::expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
+inline typename real_and_imag_result<multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
+   imag(const multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates>& a)
+{
+   typename real_and_imag_result<multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type result;
+   eval_imag(result.backend(), a.backend());
+   return result;
+}
+
 template <class tag, class A1, class A2, class A3, class A4>
-inline typename boost::enable_if_c<number_category<typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type>::value == number_kind_complex, 
-   typename component_type<typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type>::type>::type 
+inline typename component_type<typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type>::type
    real(const multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>& arg)
 {
    typedef typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type value_type;
@@ -1843,14 +1873,17 @@ inline typename boost::enable_if_c<number_category<typename multiprecision::deta
 }
 
 template <class tag, class A1, class A2, class A3, class A4>
-inline typename boost::enable_if_c<number_category<typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type>::value == number_kind_complex,
-   typename component_type<typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type>::type>::type
+inline typename component_type<typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type>::type
    imag(const multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>& arg)
 {
    typedef typename multiprecision::detail::expression<tag, A1, A2, A3, A4>::result_type value_type;
    return imag(value_type(arg));
 }
 
+//
+// Complex number functions, these are overloaded at the Backend level, we just provide the
+// expression template versions here:
+//
 template <class T, expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
 inline typename boost::lazy_enable_if_c<number_category<T>::value == number_kind_complex, component_type<number<T, ExpressionTemplates> > >::type
    abs(const number<T, ExpressionTemplates>& v)
diff --git a/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/number_base.hpp b/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/number_base.hpp
index 0f3d704d..b517662b 100644
--- a/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/number_base.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/multiprecision/detail/number_base.hpp
@@ -1043,13 +1043,6 @@ template <class T>
 struct is_interval_number : public mpl::false_ {};
 template <class Backend, expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
 struct is_interval_number<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> > : public is_interval_number<Backend>{};
-//
-// These will never be enabled, but their presence allows us to use real() and imag() for ADL later:
-//
-template <class T>
-typename boost::enable_if_c<sizeof(T) == INT_MAX>::type real();
-template <class T>
-typename boost::enable_if_c<sizeof(T) == INT_MAX>::type imag();
 
 }} // namespaces
 
diff --git a/include/boost/multiprecision/mpc.hpp b/include/boost/multiprecision/mpc.hpp
index 3cf8fc3e..9f122025 100644
--- a/include/boost/multiprecision/mpc.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/multiprecision/mpc.hpp
@@ -875,6 +875,17 @@ inline void eval_proj(mpc_float_backend<Digits10>& result, const mpc_float_backe
    mpc_proj(result.data(), arg.data(), GMP_RNDN);
 }
 
+template <unsigned Digits10>
+inline void eval_real(mpfr_float_backend<Digits10>& result, const mpc_float_backend<Digits10>& arg)
+{
+   mpc_real(result.data(), arg.data(), GMP_RNDN);
+}
+template <unsigned Digits10>
+inline void eval_imag(mpfr_float_backend<Digits10>& result, const mpc_float_backend<Digits10>& arg)
+{
+   mpc_imag(result.data(), arg.data(), GMP_RNDN);
+}
+
 template <unsigned Digits10>
 inline std::size_t hash_value(const mpc_float_backend<Digits10>& val)
 {
@@ -928,24 +939,6 @@ struct component_type<number<mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> >
    typedef number<mpfr_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> type;
 };
 
-template <unsigned Digits10, expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
-inline typename component_type<boost::multiprecision::number<boost::multiprecision::mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> >::type 
-   real(const boost::multiprecision::number<boost::multiprecision::mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates>& arg)
-{
-   typename component_type<boost::multiprecision::number<boost::multiprecision::mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> >::type result;
-   mpc_real(result.backend().data(), arg.backend().data(), GMP_RNDN);
-   return result;
-}
-
-template <unsigned Digits10, expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
-inline typename component_type<boost::multiprecision::number<boost::multiprecision::mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> >::type 
-   imag(const boost::multiprecision::number<boost::multiprecision::mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates>& arg)
-{
-   typename component_type<boost::multiprecision::number<boost::multiprecision::mpc_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> >::type result;
-   mpc_imag(result.backend().data(), arg.backend().data(), GMP_RNDN);
-   return result;
-}
-
 template <unsigned Digits10, expression_template_option ExpressionTemplates>
 number<backends::mpc_float_backend<Digits10> > polar(number<backends::mpfr_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates>const& r, number<backends::mpfr_float_backend<Digits10>, ExpressionTemplates> const& theta)
 {
diff --git a/include/boost/multiprecision/number.hpp b/include/boost/multiprecision/number.hpp
index fb71fde5..7d776c56 100644
--- a/include/boost/multiprecision/number.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/multiprecision/number.hpp
@@ -709,37 +709,19 @@ public:
    //
    // Complex number real and imag:
    //
-private:
-   typename real_and_imag_result<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
-      real_imp(const mpl::true_&)const
-   {
-      return boost::multiprecision::real(*this);  // Individual backend must overload the non-member function "real".
-   }
-   typename real_and_imag_result<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
-      imag_imp(const mpl::true_&)const
-   {
-      return boost::multiprecision::imag(*this);  // Individual backend must overload the non-member function "imag".
-   }
-   typename real_and_imag_result<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
-      real_imp(const mpl::false_&)const
-   {
-      return *this;
-   }
-   typename real_and_imag_result<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
-      imag_imp(const mpl::false_&)const
-   {
-      return 0;
-   }
-public:
    typename real_and_imag_result<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
       real()const
    {
-      return real_imp(mpl::bool_<number_category<Backend>::value == number_kind_complex>());
+      typename real_and_imag_result<multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type result;
+      eval_real(result.backend(), backend());
+      return result;
    }
    typename real_and_imag_result<number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type
       imag()const
    {
-      return imag_imp(mpl::bool_<number_category<Backend>::value == number_kind_complex>());
+      typename real_and_imag_result<multiprecision::number<Backend, ExpressionTemplates> >::type result;
+      eval_imag(result.backend(), backend());
+      return result;
    }
 private:
    template <class tag, class Arg1, class Arg2, class Arg3, class Arg4>
diff --git a/test/test_arithmetic.hpp b/test/test_arithmetic.hpp
index fc202bb5..4052c62e 100644
--- a/test/test_arithmetic.hpp
+++ b/test/test_arithmetic.hpp
@@ -1952,12 +1952,12 @@ typename boost::enable_if_c<boost::multiprecision::number_category<Real>::value
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(b, 20);
 
    Real c(2, 3);
-/*
+
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(a.real(), 30);
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(a.imag(), 0);
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(c.real(), 2);
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(c.imag(), 3);
-*/
+
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(real(a), 30);
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(imag(a), 0);
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(real(c), 2);