diff --git a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/matrix_sparse.hpp b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/matrix_sparse.hpp
index 7b6773e0..6df4b31b 100644
--- a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/matrix_sparse.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/matrix_sparse.hpp
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
         typedef A array_type;
         typedef const T &const_reference;
 #ifndef BOOST_UBLAS_STRICT_MATRIX_SPARSE
-        typedef BOOST_UBLAS_TYPENAME detail::map_traits<A>::reference reference;
+        typedef BOOST_UBLAS_TYPENAME detail::map_traits<A, T>::reference reference;
 #else
         typedef sparse_matrix_element<sparse_matrix<T, F, A> > reference;
 #endif
@@ -1295,7 +1295,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
         typedef T value_type;
         typedef const T &const_reference;
 #ifndef BOOST_UBLAS_STRICT_MATRIX_SPARSE
-        typedef typename detail::map_traits<typename A::data_value_type>::reference reference;
+        typedef typename detail::map_traits<typename A::data_value_type, T>::reference reference;
 #else
         typedef sparse_matrix_element<sparse_vector_of_sparse_vector<T, F, A> > reference;
 #endif
diff --git a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp
index 7c91164d..1c5bab41 100644
--- a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp
@@ -562,17 +562,24 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
     };
 
     namespace detail {
-        template<class A>
+#ifndef BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION
+        template<class A, class T>
         struct map_traits {
             typedef BOOST_UBLAS_TYPENAME A::mapped_type &reference;
         };
-#ifndef BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION
         template<class I, class T, class ALLOC>
-        struct map_traits<map_array<I, T, ALLOC> > {
+        struct map_traits<map_array<I, T, ALLOC>, T > {
             typedef typename map_array<I, T, ALLOC>::data_reference reference;
         };
-#elif defined (BOOST_UBLAS_STRICT_MAP_ARRAY)
+#else
+#if defined (BOOST_UBLAS_STRICT_MAP_ARRAY)
 #error BOOST_UBLAS_STRICT_MAP_ARRAY require partial template speciazation
+#endif
+        // ISSUE: T is actually only required for VC6 as it can't find mapped_type
+        template<class A, class T>
+        struct map_traits {
+            typedef T &reference;
+        };
 #endif
 
         // reserve helpers for map_array and generic maps
diff --git a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/vector_sparse.hpp b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/vector_sparse.hpp
index 6528ca2a..d90c5e7f 100644
--- a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/vector_sparse.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/vector_sparse.hpp
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
         typedef A array_type;
         typedef const value_type &const_reference;
 #ifndef BOOST_UBLAS_STRICT_VECTOR_SPARSE
-        typedef BOOST_UBLAS_TYPENAME detail::map_traits<A>::reference reference;
+        typedef BOOST_UBLAS_TYPENAME detail::map_traits<A,T>::reference reference;
 #else
         typedef sparse_vector_element<sparse_vector<T, A> > reference;
 #endif