diff --git a/include/boost/gil/algorithm.hpp b/include/boost/gil/algorithm.hpp
index e6bf78005e..ee60492300 100644
--- a/include/boost/gil/algorithm.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/gil/algorithm.hpp
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ struct copier_n<iterator_from_2d<IL>,O> {
         while (n>0) {
             diff_t l=src.width()-src.x_pos();
             diff_t numToCopy=(n<l ? n:l);
-            detail::copy_n(src.x(), numToCopy, dst);
+            std::copy_n(src.x(), numToCopy, dst);
             dst+=numToCopy;
             src+=numToCopy;
             n-=numToCopy;
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ struct copier_n<I,iterator_from_2d<OL>> {
         while (n>0) {
             diff_t l=dst.width()-dst.x_pos();
             diff_t numToCopy=(n<l ? n:l);
-            detail::copy_n(src, numToCopy, dst.x());
+            std::copy_n(src, numToCopy, dst.x());
             dst+=numToCopy;
             src+=numToCopy;
             n-=numToCopy;
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ struct copier_n<iterator_from_2d<IL>,iterator_from_2d<OL>> {
         while (n>0) {
             diff_t l=dst.width()-dst.x_pos();
             diff_t numToCopy=(n<l ? n : l);
-            detail::copy_n(src.x(), numToCopy, dst.x());
+            std::copy_n(src.x(), numToCopy, dst.x());
             dst+=numToCopy;
             src+=numToCopy;
             n-=numToCopy;
diff --git a/include/boost/gil/image_processing/kernel.hpp b/include/boost/gil/image_processing/kernel.hpp
index 98682d2bb3..3c98071331 100644
--- a/include/boost/gil/image_processing/kernel.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/gil/image_processing/kernel.hpp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #ifndef BOOST_GIL_IMAGE_PROCESSING_KERNEL_HPP
 #define BOOST_GIL_IMAGE_PROCESSING_KERNEL_HPP
 
-#include <boost/gil/utilities.hpp>
 #include <boost/gil/point.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ class kernel_1d : public detail::kernel_1d_adaptor<std::vector<T, Allocator>>
     kernel_1d(FwdIterator elements, std::size_t size, std::size_t center)
         : parent_t(size, center)
     {
-        detail::copy_n(elements, size, this->begin());
+        std::copy_n(elements, size, this->begin());
     }
 
     kernel_1d(kernel_1d const& other) : parent_t(other) {}
@@ -134,7 +133,7 @@ class kernel_1d_fixed : public detail::kernel_1d_adaptor<std::array<T, Size>>
     explicit kernel_1d_fixed(FwdIterator elements, std::size_t center)
         : parent_t(center)
     {
-        detail::copy_n(elements, Size, this->begin());
+        std::copy_n(elements, Size, this->begin());
     }
 
     kernel_1d_fixed(kernel_1d_fixed const& other) : parent_t(other) {}
@@ -284,7 +283,7 @@ class kernel_2d : public detail::kernel_2d_adaptor<std::vector<T, Allocator>>
     kernel_2d(FwdIterator elements, std::size_t size, std::size_t center_y, std::size_t center_x)
         : parent_t(static_cast<int>(std::sqrt(size)), center_y, center_x)
     {
-        detail::copy_n(elements, size, this->begin());
+        std::copy_n(elements, size, this->begin());
     }
 
     kernel_2d(kernel_2d const& other) : parent_t(other) {}
@@ -318,7 +317,7 @@ class kernel_2d_fixed :
         : parent_t(center_y, center_x)
     {
         this->square_size = Size;
-        detail::copy_n(elements, Size * Size, this->begin());
+        std::copy_n(elements, Size * Size, this->begin());
     }
 
     kernel_2d_fixed(kernel_2d_fixed const& other) : parent_t(other) {}
diff --git a/include/boost/gil/utilities.hpp b/include/boost/gil/utilities.hpp
index 5b5926ba04..19ef45999c 100644
--- a/include/boost/gil/utilities.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/gil/utilities.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 #endif
 
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <functional>
@@ -165,45 +164,6 @@ const OutPtr gil_reinterpret_cast_c(const In* p)
 
 namespace detail {
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-///  \brief copy_n taken from SGI STL.
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-template <class InputIter, class Size, class OutputIter>
-std::pair<InputIter, OutputIter> _copy_n(InputIter first, Size count,
-    OutputIter result, std::input_iterator_tag)
-{
-   for ( ; count > 0; --count)
-   {
-      *result = *first;
-      ++first;
-      ++result;
-   }
-   return std::pair<InputIter, OutputIter>(first, result);
-}
-
-template <class RAIter, class Size, class OutputIter>
-inline std::pair<RAIter, OutputIter>
-_copy_n(RAIter first, Size count, OutputIter result, std::random_access_iterator_tag)
-{
-   RAIter last = first + count;
-   return std::pair<RAIter, OutputIter>(last, std::copy(first, last, result));
-}
-
-template <class InputIter, class Size, class OutputIter>
-inline std::pair<InputIter, OutputIter>
-_copy_n(InputIter first, Size count, OutputIter result)
-{
-   return _copy_n(first, count, result, typename std::iterator_traits<InputIter>::iterator_category());
-}
-
-template <class InputIter, class Size, class OutputIter>
-inline std::pair<InputIter, OutputIter>
-copy_n(InputIter first, Size count, OutputIter result)
-{
-    return detail::_copy_n(first, count, result);
-}
-
 /// \brief identity taken from SGI STL.
 template <typename T>
 struct identity
@@ -213,6 +173,7 @@ struct identity
     const T& operator()(const T& val) const { return val; }
 };
 
+// TODO replace with transparent std::plus in C++14
 /// \brief plus function object whose arguments may be of different type.
 template <typename T1, typename T2>
 struct plus_asymmetric {