I noticed that if I use both BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT and register_type it causes an error. Here is an example: #include <boost/archive/text_iarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/text_oarchive.hpp> #include <iostream> #include <sstream> #include <boost/serialization/extended_type_info_typeid.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/base_object.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/split_member.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/nvp.hpp> struct base { double min, max; base (double _min, double _max) : min (_min), max (_max) {} base(){} template<class Archive> inline void serialize (Archive &ar, const unsigned int) { ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(min); ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(max); } virtual int noop() = 0; }; struct derived : public base { derived (double _min, double _max) : base (_min, _max) {} derived(){} template<class Archive> inline void serialize (Archive &ar, const unsigned int) { ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_BASE_OBJECT_NVP (base); } int noop() { return 1; } }; #include <boost/serialization/export.hpp> BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT (derived) struct A { base* b; A (base* _b) : b (_b) {} A() {} template<class Archive> void save (Archive & ar, const unsigned int version) const { ar.register_type (static_cast<derived*>(NULL)); <<< comment/uncomment this line std::cout << b->min << ' ' << b->max << '\n'; ar << BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(b); } template<class Archive> void load (Archive & ar, const unsigned int version) { base* b = NULL; ar >> BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(b); std::cout << b->min << ' ' << b->max << '\n'; } BOOST_SERIALIZATION_SPLIT_MEMBER() }; int main() { derived* p = new derived (1,2); const A a (p); std::stringstream ss; boost::archive::text_oarchive oa (ss); oa << a; ss.seekg (0); // std::cout << ss.str() << '\n'; ss.seekg (0); boost::archive::text_iarchive ia (ss); A b; ia >> b; } If ar.register_type is there, you get unregistered exception.