diff --git a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp
index 8e69e10d..06abd1e6 100644
--- a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/storage_sparse.hpp
@@ -277,10 +277,10 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
         typedef sparse_storage_element<map_array> data_reference;
 #endif
         typedef std::pair<I, T> value_type;
-        typedef const std::pair<I, T> &const_reference;
-        typedef std::pair<I, T> &reference;
-        typedef const std::pair<I, T> *const_pointer;
-        typedef std::pair<I, T> *pointer;
+        typedef const value_type &const_reference;
+        typedef value_type &reference;
+        typedef const value_type *const_pointer;
+        typedef value_type *pointer;
 
         // Construction and destruction
         BOOST_UBLAS_INLINE
@@ -602,10 +602,10 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
         typedef std::ptrdiff_t difference_type;
         typedef I index_type;
         typedef I value_type;
-        typedef const I &const_reference;
-        typedef I &reference;
-        typedef const I *const_pointer;
-        typedef I *pointer;
+        typedef const value_type &const_reference;
+        typedef value_type &reference;
+        typedef const value_type *const_pointer;
+        typedef value_type *pointer;
 
         // Construction and destruction
         BOOST_UBLAS_INLINE