diff --git a/libsrc/core/archive.hpp b/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
index 0e5d69bc..4d72e826 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <functional>           // for function
 #include <map>                  // for map
 #include <memory>               // for shared_ptr
+#include <optional>             // for optional
 #include <string>               // for string
 #include <type_traits>          // for declval, enable_if_t, false_type, is_co...
 #include <cstddef>              // for std::byte
@@ -290,6 +291,24 @@ namespace ngcore
         }
       return (*this);
     }
+    template<typename T>
+    Archive& operator& (std::optional<T>& opt)
+    {
+        bool has_value = opt.has_value();
+        (*this) & has_value;
+        if(has_value)
+          {
+            if(Output())
+                (*this) << *opt;
+            else
+            {
+                T value;
+                (*this) & value;
+                opt = value;
+            }
+          }
+      return (*this);
+    }
     // Archive arrays =====================================================
     // this functions can be overloaded in Archive implementations for more efficiency
     template <typename T, typename = std::enable_if_t<is_archivable<T>>>
diff --git a/tests/catch/archive.cpp b/tests/catch/archive.cpp
index 8d7a413c..8c436697 100644
--- a/tests/catch/archive.cpp
+++ b/tests/catch/archive.cpp
@@ -265,6 +265,28 @@ void testEnum(Archive& in, Archive& out)
    CHECK(enin == CASE2);
   }
 
+void testOptional(Archive& in, Archive& out)
+  {
+    {
+      std::optional<int> no_value;
+      std::optional<int> myint = 42;
+      std::optional<string> mystr = "have an optional string";
+      out & no_value & myint & mystr;
+      out.FlushBuffer();
+    }
+    {
+      std::optional<int> no_value_;
+      std::optional<int> myint_;
+      std::optional<string> mystr_;
+      in & no_value_ & myint_ & mystr_;
+      CHECK(no_value_.has_value() == false);
+      CHECK(myint_.has_value() == true);
+      CHECK(*myint_ == 42);
+      CHECK(mystr_.has_value() == true);
+      CHECK(*mystr_ == "have an optional string");
+    }
+  }
+
 void testArchive(Archive& in, Archive& out)
 {
   SECTION("Empty String")
@@ -322,6 +344,10 @@ void testArchive(Archive& in, Archive& out)
     {
       testEnum(in, out);
     }
+  SECTION("optional")
+    {
+      testOptional(in, out);
+    }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("BinaryArchive")