diff --git a/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp b/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp
index bc79839..0576469 100644
--- a/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp
@@ -190,7 +190,11 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
         Read from file with the given name. The character type is
         passed to the file stream.
     */
+#ifdef BOOST_NO_CXX11_FUNCTION_TEMPLATE_DEFAULT_ARGS
     template<class charT>
+#else
+    template<class charT = char>
+#endif
 #if ! BOOST_WORKAROUND(__ICL, BOOST_TESTED_AT(700))
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL
 #endif
diff --git a/src/options_description.cpp b/src/options_description.cpp
index d4fcfc8..dc0eae8 100644
--- a/src/options_description.cpp
+++ b/src/options_description.cpp
@@ -181,8 +181,9 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
     const std::pair<const std::string*, std::size_t>
     option_description::long_names() const
     {
+        // reinterpret_cast is to please msvc 10.
         return (m_long_names.empty())
-            ? std::pair<const std::string*, size_t>( NULL, 0 )
+            ? std::pair<const std::string*, size_t>(reinterpret_cast<const std::string*>(0), 0 )
             : std::pair<const std::string*, size_t>( &(*m_long_names.begin()), m_long_names.size());
     }