diff --git a/include/ndnboost/random/detail/ptr_helper.hpp b/include/ndnboost/random/detail/ptr_helper.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c07a88a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ndnboost/random/detail/ptr_helper.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/* boost random/detail/ptr_helper.hpp header file
+ *
+ * Copyright Jens Maurer 2002
+ * Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See
+ * accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+ * http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+ *
+ * See http://www.boost.org for most recent version including documentation.
+ *
+ * $Id: ptr_helper.hpp 24096 2004-07-27 03:43:34Z dgregor $
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef NDNBOOST_RANDOM_DETAIL_PTR_HELPER_HPP
+#define NDNBOOST_RANDOM_DETAIL_PTR_HELPER_HPP
+
+#include <ndnboost/config.hpp>
+
+
+namespace ndnboost {
+namespace random {
+namespace detail {
+
+// type_traits could help here, but I don't want to depend on type_traits.
+template<class T>
+struct ptr_helper
+{
+  typedef T value_type;
+  typedef T& reference_type;
+  typedef const T& rvalue_type;
+  static reference_type ref(T& r) { return r; }
+  static const T& ref(const T& r) { return r; }
+};
+
+#ifndef NDNBOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION
+template<class T>
+struct ptr_helper<T&>
+{
+  typedef T value_type;
+  typedef T& reference_type;
+  typedef T& rvalue_type;
+  static reference_type ref(T& r) { return r; }
+  static const T& ref(const T& r) { return r; }
+};
+
+template<class T>
+struct ptr_helper<T*>
+{
+  typedef T value_type;
+  typedef T& reference_type;
+  typedef T* rvalue_type;
+  static reference_type ref(T * p) { return *p; }
+  static const T& ref(const T * p) { return *p; }
+};
+#endif
+
+} // namespace detail
+} // namespace random
+} // namespace ndnboost
+
+//
+// NDNBOOST_RANDOM_PTR_HELPER_SPEC --
+//
+//  Helper macro for broken compilers defines specializations of
+//  ptr_helper.
+//
+#ifdef NDNBOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION
+# define NDNBOOST_RANDOM_PTR_HELPER_SPEC(T)                \
+namespace ndnboost { namespace random { namespace detail { \
+template<>                                              \
+struct ptr_helper<T&>                                   \
+{                                                       \
+  typedef T value_type;                                 \
+  typedef T& reference_type;                            \
+  typedef T& rvalue_type;                               \
+  static reference_type ref(T& r) { return r; }         \
+  static const T& ref(const T& r) { return r; }         \
+};                                                      \
+                                                        \
+template<>                                              \
+struct ptr_helper<T*>                                   \
+{                                                       \
+  typedef T value_type;                                 \
+  typedef T& reference_type;                            \
+  typedef T* rvalue_type;                               \
+  static reference_type ref(T * p) { return *p; }       \
+  static const T& ref(const T * p) { return *p; }       \
+};                                                      \
+}}}
+#else
+# define NDNBOOST_RANDOM_PTR_HELPER_SPEC(T)
+#endif 
+
+#endif // NDNBOOST_RANDOM_DETAIL_PTR_HELPER_HPP