diff --git a/gtsam/base/serialization.h b/gtsam/base/serialization.h
index 191e0ecfb..031ee3a3e 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/serialization.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/serialization.h
@@ -44,18 +44,28 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
 // Serialization directly to strings in compressed format
 template<class T>
-std::string serialize(const T& input) {
-  std::ostringstream out_archive_stream;
+void serialize(const T& input, std::ostream & out_archive_stream) {
   boost::archive::text_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
   out_archive << input;
+}
+
+template<class T>
+void deserialize(std::istream & in_archive_stream, T& output) {
+  boost::archive::text_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
+  in_archive >> output;
+}
+
+template<class T>
+std::string serialize(const T& input) {
+  std::ostringstream out_archive_stream;
+  serialize(input, out_archive_stream);
   return out_archive_stream.str();
 }
 
 template<class T>
 void deserialize(const std::string& serialized, T& output) {
   std::istringstream in_archive_stream(serialized);
-  boost::archive::text_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
-  in_archive >> output;
+  deserialize(in_archive_stream, output);
 }
 
 template<class T>
@@ -63,8 +73,7 @@ bool serializeToFile(const T& input, const std::string& filename) {
   std::ofstream out_archive_stream(filename.c_str());
   if (!out_archive_stream.is_open())
     return false;
-  boost::archive::text_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
-  out_archive << input;
+  serialize(input, out_archive_stream);
   out_archive_stream.close();
   return true;
 }
@@ -74,31 +83,37 @@ bool deserializeFromFile(const std::string& filename, T& output) {
   std::ifstream in_archive_stream(filename.c_str());
   if (!in_archive_stream.is_open())
     return false;
-  boost::archive::text_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
-  in_archive >> output;
+  deserialize(in_archive_stream, output);
   in_archive_stream.close();
   return true;
 }
 
 // Serialization to XML format with named structures
+template <class T>
+void serializeXML(const T& input, std::ostream& out_archive_stream,
+                  const std::string& name = "data") {
+  boost::archive::xml_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
+  out_archive << boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), input);
+}
+
+template <class T>
+void deserializeXML(std::istream& in_archive_stream, T& output,
+                    const std::string& name = "data") {
+  boost::archive::xml_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
+  in_archive >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), output);
+}
+
 template<class T>
 std::string serializeXML(const T& input, const std::string& name="data") {
   std::ostringstream out_archive_stream;
-  // braces to flush out_archive as it goes out of scope before taking str()
-  // fixes crash with boost 1.66-1.68
-  // see https://github.com/boostorg/serialization/issues/82
-  {
-    boost::archive::xml_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
-    out_archive << boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), input);
-  }
+  serializeXML(input, out_archive_stream, name);
   return out_archive_stream.str();
 }
 
 template<class T>
 void deserializeXML(const std::string& serialized, T& output, const std::string& name="data") {
   std::istringstream in_archive_stream(serialized);
-  boost::archive::xml_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
-  in_archive >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), output);
+  deserializeXML(in_archive_stream, output, name);
 }
 
 template<class T>
@@ -106,10 +121,7 @@ bool serializeToXMLFile(const T& input, const std::string& filename, const std::
   std::ofstream out_archive_stream(filename.c_str());
   if (!out_archive_stream.is_open())
     return false;
-  {
-    boost::archive::xml_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
-    out_archive << boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), input);
-  }
+  serializeXML(input, out_archive_stream, name);
   out_archive_stream.close();
   return true;
 }
@@ -119,28 +131,38 @@ bool deserializeFromXMLFile(const std::string& filename, T& output, const std::s
   std::ifstream in_archive_stream(filename.c_str());
   if (!in_archive_stream.is_open())
     return false;
-  {
-    boost::archive::xml_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
-    in_archive >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), output);
-  }
+  deserializeXML(in_archive_stream, output, name);
   in_archive_stream.close();
   return true;
 }
 
+// Serialization to binary format with named structures
+template <class T>
+void serializeBinary(const T& input, std::ostream& out_archive_stream,
+                            const std::string& name = "data") {
+  boost::archive::binary_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
+  out_archive << boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), input);
+}
+
+template <class T>
+void deserializeBinary(std::istream& in_archive_stream, T& output,
+                       const std::string& name = "data") {
+  boost::archive::binary_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
+  in_archive >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), output);
+}
+
 // Serialization to binary format with named structures
 template<class T>
 std::string serializeBinary(const T& input, const std::string& name="data") {
   std::ostringstream out_archive_stream;
-  boost::archive::binary_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
-  out_archive << boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), input);
+  serializeBinary(input, out_archive_stream, name);
   return out_archive_stream.str();
 }
 
 template<class T>
 void deserializeBinary(const std::string& serialized, T& output, const std::string& name="data") {
   std::istringstream in_archive_stream(serialized);
-  boost::archive::binary_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
-  in_archive >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), output);
+  deserializeBinary(in_archive_stream, output, name);
 }
 
 template<class T>
@@ -148,8 +170,7 @@ bool serializeToBinaryFile(const T& input, const std::string& filename, const st
   std::ofstream out_archive_stream(filename.c_str());
   if (!out_archive_stream.is_open())
     return false;
-  boost::archive::binary_oarchive out_archive(out_archive_stream);
-  out_archive << boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), input);
+  serializeBinary(input, out_archive_stream, name);
   out_archive_stream.close();
   return true;
 }
@@ -159,8 +180,7 @@ bool deserializeFromBinaryFile(const std::string& filename, T& output, const std
   std::ifstream in_archive_stream(filename.c_str());
   if (!in_archive_stream.is_open())
     return false;
-  boost::archive::binary_iarchive in_archive(in_archive_stream);
-  in_archive >> boost::serialization::make_nvp(name.c_str(), output);
+  deserializeBinary(in_archive_stream, output, name);
   in_archive_stream.close();
   return true;
 }