diff --git a/test/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.cpp b/test/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.cpp
index d265a932..974a03e7 100644
--- a/test/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.cpp
+++ b/test/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
  }
 
+#ifdef TRIQS_COMPILER_IS_C11_COMPLIANT
+
  { // filter
   std::cout  << "  ----- filter ----"<< std::endl ;
   auto t= std::make_tuple(0,1,2,3,4,"=5");
@@ -160,6 +162,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   std::cout << "replace 1,3,5"<< t << triqs::tuple::replace<1,3,5>(t,s)<< std::endl; 
  }
 
+#endif
 
 }
 
diff --git a/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.hpp b/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.hpp
index 54e03435..34cce2a5 100644
--- a/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.hpp
+++ b/triqs/utility/tuple_tools.hpp
@@ -261,6 +261,8 @@ namespace triqs { namespace tuple {
  template<typename F, typename T1, typename T2, typename R>
   auto fold_on_zip (F && f,T1 const & t1, T2 const & t2, R && r) DECL_AND_RETURN( fold_on_zip_impl<std::tuple_size<T1>::value-1,T1,T2>()(std::forward<F>(f),t1,t2,std::forward<R>(r)));
 
+#ifdef TRIQS_COMPILER_IS_C11_COMPLIANT
+
  /** 
   * filter<int ... I>(t) : 
   *  Given a tuple t, and integers, returns the tuple where the elements at initial position I are dropped.
@@ -287,9 +289,7 @@ namespace triqs { namespace tuple {
 
  template<typename Tu,int ...I> struct filter_t_tr : std::result_of< filter_impl<0,std::tuple_size<Tu>::value-1, I...>( Tu, std::tuple<>)>{};
 
-#ifdef TRIQS_COMPILER_IS_C11_COMPLIANT
  template<typename Tu,int ...I> using filter_t = typename filter_t_tr<Tu,I...>::type;
-#endif
 
 /** 
   * filter_out<int ... I>(t) : 
@@ -317,9 +317,7 @@ namespace triqs { namespace tuple {
 
  template<typename Tu,int ...I> struct filter_out_t_tr : std::result_of< filter_out_impl<0,std::tuple_size<Tu>::value-1, I...>( Tu, std::tuple<>)>{};
 
-#ifdef TRIQS_COMPILER_IS_C11_COMPLIANT
  template<typename Tu,int ...I> using filter_out_t = typename filter_out_t_tr<Tu,I...>::type;
-#endif
 
   /** 
   * inverse_filter<int L, int ... I>(t,x)  
@@ -412,6 +410,7 @@ namespace triqs { namespace tuple {
  template<int ...I, typename Tu, typename R>
   auto replace(Tu const & tu, R const &r) DECL_AND_RETURN ( replace_impl<0,std::tuple_size<Tu>::value-1, I...>()(tu, std::make_tuple(),r));
 
+#endif
 
  /*
   * print a tuple