diff --git a/include/fc/function.hpp b/include/fc/function.hpp
index 7e316c6..0773a6e 100644
--- a/include/fc/function.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/function.hpp
@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@
 #define _FC_FUNCTION_HPP_
 #include <fc/utility.hpp>
 #include <functional>
+#include <boost/config.hpp>
 
 namespace fc {
   // place holder for more compile-effecient functor
+#if !defined(BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_ALIASES) 
   template<typename T>
   using function = std::function<T>;
+#else
+#endif
 }
 
 #endif // _FC_FUNCTION_HPP_
diff --git a/include/fc/signals.hpp b/include/fc/signals.hpp
index c28c8c6..990a3ea 100644
--- a/include/fc/signals.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/signals.hpp
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@
 #include <fc/thread.hpp>
 
 namespace fc {
+#if !defined(BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_ALIASES) 
    template<typename T>
    using signal = boost::signal<T>;
+#else
+#endif
 
    template<typename T>
    inline T wait( boost::signal<void(T)>& sig, const microseconds& timeout_us=microseconds::max() ) {
diff --git a/include/fc/utility.hpp b/include/fc/utility.hpp
index d556805..0d3159c 100644
--- a/include/fc/utility.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/utility.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <new>
 
+#define nullptr 0
+
 typedef decltype(sizeof(int)) size_t;
 namespace std {
   typedef decltype(sizeof(int)) size_t;
diff --git a/src/string.cpp b/src/string.cpp
index 4145736..4504e50 100644
--- a/src/string.cpp
+++ b/src/string.cpp
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ namespace fc  {
     ::detail::destroy( this );
   }
 
-  string::iterator string::begin()            { return &reinterpret_cast<std::string*>(this)->front(); }
-  string::iterator string::end()              { return &reinterpret_cast<std::string*>(this)->back() +1; }// my->str.size(); }
+  string::iterator string::begin()            { return &(*this)[0]; }
+  string::iterator string::end()              { return &(*this)[size()]; }
   string::const_iterator string::begin()const { return reinterpret_cast<const std::string*>(this)->c_str(); }
   string::const_iterator string::end()const   { return reinterpret_cast<const std::string*>(this)->c_str() + reinterpret_cast<const std::string*>(this)->size(); }