diff --git a/libsrc/geom2d/genmesh2d.cpp b/libsrc/geom2d/genmesh2d.cpp
index c1eadf1a..6d00f1fe 100644
--- a/libsrc/geom2d/genmesh2d.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/geom2d/genmesh2d.cpp
@@ -458,9 +458,6 @@ namespace netgen
     for ( int sindex = 0; sindex < maxsegmentindex; sindex++ )
       mesh->SetBCName ( sindex, geometry.GetBCName( sindex+1 ) );
 
-    for (SegmentIndex si = 0; si < mesh->GetNSeg(); si++)
-      (*mesh)[si].SetBCName ( (*mesh).GetBCNamePtr( (*mesh)[si].si-1 ) );
-  
     mesh->CalcLocalH(mp.grading);
 
     int bnp = mesh->GetNP(); // boundary points
diff --git a/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp b/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp
index 7c647119..42d26094 100644
--- a/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ char * Ng_GetSurfaceElementBCName (int ei)
   if ( mesh->GetDimension() == 3 )
     return const_cast<char *>(mesh->GetFaceDescriptor(mesh->SurfaceElement(ei).GetIndex()).GetBCName().c_str());
   else
-    return const_cast<char *>(mesh->LineSegment(ei).GetBCName().c_str());
+    return const_cast<char *>(mesh->GetBCName(mesh->LineSegment(ei).si).c_str());
 }
 
 
diff --git a/libsrc/interface/readuser.cpp b/libsrc/interface/readuser.cpp
index d3d50cf2..29b16afa 100644
--- a/libsrc/interface/readuser.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/interface/readuser.cpp
@@ -313,7 +313,6 @@ namespace netgen
                             ednr = mesh.AddEdgeDescriptor(ed);
                             mesh.SetCD2Name(bcpr, name);
                             auto nr = mesh.AddSegment(tmp_segments[get<0>(element_map[index])-1]);
-                            mesh[nr].SetBCName(mesh.GetCD2NamePtr(mesh.GetNCD2Names()));
                             mesh[nr].edgenr = ednr+1;
                           }
                           else if(dim == 2)
@@ -321,7 +320,6 @@ namespace netgen
                             Segment & seg = mesh.LineSegment(get<0>(element_map[index]));
 			    seg.si = bccounter + 1;
 			    mesh.SetBCName(bccounter, name);
-                            seg.SetBCName(mesh.GetBCNamePtr(bccounter));
 		            bccounter++;
                           }
                           break;
@@ -353,13 +351,11 @@ namespace netgen
                             {
                               auto nr = mesh.AddSegment(tmp_segments[get<0>(element_map[index])-1]);
                               mesh[nr].edgenr = ednr+1;
-                              mesh[nr].SetBCName(mesh.GetCD2NamePtr(mesh.GetNCD2Names()));
                             }
 			    else if(dim == 2)
 			    {
 	 			    Segment & seg = mesh.LineSegment(get<0>(element_map[index]));
 			            seg.si = bccounter;
-                            	    seg.SetBCName(mesh.GetBCNamePtr(bccounter-1));
 			    }
                             break;
                           default:
@@ -388,7 +384,6 @@ namespace netgen
 			if(seg.si == -1){
 			  seg.si = bccounter + 1;
 			  if(bccounter_tmp == bccounter) mesh.SetBCName(bccounter, "default"); // could be more efficient
-			  seg.SetBCName(mesh.GetBCNamePtr(bccounter));
 			  bccounter_tmp++;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp
index 76a22ffc..703109a1 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/meshclass.cpp
@@ -105,11 +105,18 @@ namespace netgen
       if ( mesh2.materials[i] ) materials[i] = new string ( *mesh2.materials[i] );
       else materials[i] = 0;
 
-
+    std::map<const string*, string*> bcmap;
     bcnames.SetSize( mesh2.bcnames.Size() );
     for ( int i = 0; i < mesh2.bcnames.Size(); i++ )
+    {
       if ( mesh2.bcnames[i] ) bcnames[i] = new string ( *mesh2.bcnames[i] );
       else bcnames[i] = 0;
+      bcmap[mesh2.bcnames[i]] = bcnames[i];
+    }
+
+    // Remap string* members in FaceDescriptor to new mesh
+    for (auto & f : facedecoding)
+      f.SetBCName( bcmap[&f.GetBCName()] );
 
 
     cd2names.SetSize(mesh2.cd2names.Size());
@@ -1112,18 +1119,7 @@ namespace netgen
                 bcnames[bcnrs[i-1]-1] = new string(nextbcname);
               }
 
-            if ( GetDimension() == 2 )
-              {
-                for (i = 1; i <= GetNSeg(); i++)
-                  {
-                    Segment & seg = LineSegment (i);
-                    if ( seg.si <= n )
-                      seg.SetBCName (bcnames[seg.si-1]);
-                    else
-                      seg.SetBCName(0);
-                  }
-              }
-            else
+            if ( GetDimension() == 3 )
               {
                 for (SurfaceElementIndex sei = 0; sei < GetNSE(); sei++)
                   {
@@ -1156,17 +1152,6 @@ namespace netgen
 	      {
 		throw NgException("co dim 2 elements not implemented for dimension 2");
 	      }
-	    else
-	      {
-		for (i = 1; i<= GetNSeg(); i++)
-		  {
-		    Segment & seg = LineSegment(i);
-		    if ( seg.edgenr <= n )
-		      seg.SetBCName (cd2names[seg.edgenr-1]);
-		    else
-		      seg.SetBCName(0);
-		  }
-	      }
 	  }
 
         if (strcmp (str, "singular_points") == 0)
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.cpp
index 9523fab7..f512c683 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.cpp
@@ -80,8 +80,6 @@ namespace netgen
       epgeominfo[1].edgenr = 1;
       epgeominfo[1].dist = 0;
     */
-
-    bcname = nullptr;
   }    
 
   Segment::Segment (const Segment & other)
@@ -109,7 +107,6 @@ namespace netgen
     geominfo[1] = other.geominfo[1];
     epgeominfo[0] = other.epgeominfo[0];
     epgeominfo[1] = other.epgeominfo[1];
-    bcname = other.bcname;
   }
 
   Segment& Segment::operator=(const Segment & other)
@@ -135,7 +132,6 @@ namespace netgen
 	pnums[2] = other.pnums[2];
 	meshdocval = other.meshdocval;
 	hp_elnr = other.hp_elnr;
-	bcname = other.bcname;
         is_curved = other.is_curved;
       }
     
@@ -144,11 +140,12 @@ namespace netgen
   
   void Segment :: DoArchive (Archive & ar)
   {
+    string * bcname_dummy = nullptr;
     ar & pnums[0] & pnums[1] & pnums[2]
       & edgenr & singedge_left & singedge_right
       & si & cd2i & domin & domout & tlosurf
       & surfnr1 & surfnr2
-      & bcname
+      & bcname_dummy // keep this for backward compatiblity
       & epgeominfo[0].edgenr & epgeominfo[1].edgenr;
   }
 
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
index e6ccc83e..84e9aec8 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
@@ -1031,7 +1031,6 @@ namespace netgen
     // #endif
 
   private:
-    string* bcname;
     bool is_curved;
 
   public:
@@ -1048,24 +1047,6 @@ namespace netgen
   
     int hp_elnr;
 
-    void SetBCName ( string * abcname )
-    {
-      bcname = abcname;
-    }
-
-    string * BCNamePtr () 
-    { return bcname; }
-
-    const string * BCNamePtr () const 
-    { return bcname; }
-
-    const string & GetBCName () const
-    {
-      static string defaultstring = "default";
-      if (! bcname ) return defaultstring;
-      return *bcname;
-    }
-
     int GetNP() const
     {
       return pnums[2].IsValid() ? 3 : 2;