diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobject.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobject.H
index f71badbcca..999b48551d 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobject.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobject.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -374,6 +374,9 @@ public:
             //- Write header
             bool writeHeader(Ostream&) const;
 
+            //- Write header. Allow override of type
+            bool writeHeader(Ostream&, const word& objectType) const;
+
 
         // Error Handling
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobjectWriteHeader.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobjectWriteHeader.C
index 88a25abcbb..638d3e2095 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobjectWriteHeader.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobject/IOobjectWriteHeader.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Description
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
-bool Foam::IOobject::writeHeader(Ostream& os) const
+bool Foam::IOobject::writeHeader(Ostream& os, const word& type) const
 {
     if (!os.good())
     {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ bool Foam::IOobject::writeHeader(Ostream& os) const
         << "FoamFile\n{\n"
         << "    version     " << os.version() << ";\n"
         << "    format      " << os.format() << ";\n"
-        << "    class       " << type() << ";\n";
+        << "    class       " << type << ";\n";
 
     if (note().size())
     {
@@ -63,4 +63,10 @@ bool Foam::IOobject::writeHeader(Ostream& os) const
 }
 
 
+bool Foam::IOobject::writeHeader(Ostream& os) const
+{
+    return writeHeader(os, type());
+}
+
+
 // ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/src/edgeMesh/edgeFormats/emesh/EMESHedgeFormat.C b/src/edgeMesh/edgeFormats/emesh/EMESHedgeFormat.C
index aa9028e463..1ba560f824 100644
--- a/src/edgeMesh/edgeFormats/emesh/EMESHedgeFormat.C
+++ b/src/edgeMesh/edgeFormats/emesh/EMESHedgeFormat.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ License
 #include "IOobject.H"
 #include "IFstream.H"
 #include "clock.H"
+#include "Time.H"
+#include "featureEdgeMesh.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Constructors  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
@@ -48,18 +50,53 @@ bool Foam::fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::read
 {
     clear();
 
-    IFstream is(filename);
-    if (!is.good())
+    fileName dir = filename.path();
+    fileName caseName = dir.name();
+    fileName rootPath = dir.path();
+
+    // Construct dummy time to use as an objectRegistry
+    Time dummyTime
+    (
+        ".",        //rootPath,
+        ".",        //caseName,
+        "system",   //systemName,
+        "constant", //constantName,
+        false       //enableFunctionObjects
+    );
+
+    // Construct IOobject to re-use the headerOk & readHeader
+    // (so we can read ascii and binary)
+    IOobject io
+    (
+        filename,
+        dummyTime,
+        IOobject::NO_READ,
+        IOobject::NO_WRITE,
+        false
+    );
+
+    if (!io.headerOk())
     {
-        FatalErrorIn
-        (
-            "fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::read(const fileName&)"
-        )
+        FatalErrorIn("fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::read(const fileName&)")
             << "Cannot read file " << filename
             << exit(FatalError);
     }
 
-    return read(is, this->storedPoints(), this->storedEdges());
+
+    autoPtr<IFstream> isPtr(new IFstream(io.filePath()));
+    bool ok = false;
+    if (isPtr().good())
+    {
+        Istream& is = isPtr();
+        ok = io.readHeader(is);
+
+        if (ok)
+        {
+            ok = read(is, this->storedPoints(), this->storedEdges());
+        }
+    }
+
+    return ok;
 }
 
 
@@ -81,32 +118,6 @@ bool Foam::fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::read
             << exit(FatalError);
     }
 
-    token firstToken(is);
-
-    // swallow IOobject header
-    if (!is.good())
-    {
-        FatalIOErrorIn
-        (
-            "fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::read"
-            "(Istream&, pointField&, edgeList&)",
-            is
-        )
-            << "First token could not be read" << nl
-            << exit(FatalIOError);
-
-        return false;
-    }
-    else if (firstToken.isWord() && firstToken.wordToken() == "FoamFile")
-    {
-        // read and discard
-        dictionary headerDict(is);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        is.putBack(firstToken);
-    }
-
     // read points:
     is  >> pointLst;
 
@@ -157,30 +168,54 @@ void Foam::fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::write
     const edgeMesh& mesh
 )
 {
-    OFstream os(filename);
-    if (!os.good())
+    // Construct dummy time to use as an objectRegistry
+    Time dummyTime
+    (
+        ".",        //rootPath,
+        ".",        //caseName,
+        "system",   //systemName,
+        "constant", //constantName,
+        false       //enableFunctionObjects
+    );
+
+    // Construct IOobject to re-use the writeHeader
+    IOobject io
+    (
+        filename,
+        dummyTime,
+        IOobject::NO_READ,
+        IOobject::NO_WRITE,
+        false
+    );
+    io.note() = "written " + clock::dateTime();
+
+    // Note: always write ascii
+    autoPtr<OFstream> osPtr(new OFstream(filename));
+
+    if (!osPtr().good())
     {
-        FatalErrorIn
+        FatalIOErrorIn
         (
             "fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::write"
-            "(const fileName&, const edgeMesh&)"
-        )
-            << "Cannot open file for writing " << filename
-            << exit(FatalError);
+            "(const fileName&, const edgeMesh&)",
+            osPtr()
+        )   << "Cannot open file for writing " << filename
+            << exit(FatalIOError);
     }
 
+    OFstream& os = osPtr();
+    bool ok = io.writeHeader(os, featureEdgeMesh::typeName);
 
-    // just emit some information until we get a nicer IOobject
-    IOobject::writeBanner(os)
-        << "FoamFile\n{\n"
-        << "    version     " << os.version() << ";\n"
-        << "    format      " << os.format() << ";\n"
-        << "    class       " << "featureEdgeMesh" << ";\n"
-        << "    note        " << "written " + clock::dateTime() << ";\n"
-        << "    object      " << filename.name() << ";\n"
-        << "}" << nl;
-
-    IOobject::writeDivider(os);
+    if (!ok)
+    {
+        FatalIOErrorIn
+        (
+            "fileFormats::EMESHedgeFormat::write"
+            "(const fileName&, const edgeMesh&)",
+            os
+        )   << "Cannot write header"
+            << exit(FatalIOError);
+    }
 
     write(os, mesh.points(), mesh.edges());