diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index df1e5917..a48a203c 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ S3method(ndigest,neuron)
 S3method(ndigest,neuronlistfh)
 S3method(nvertices,default)
 S3method(nvertices,dotprops)
+S3method(nvertices,igraph)
 S3method(nvertices,neuron)
 S3method(nvertices,neuronlist)
 S3method(nvertices,shapelist3d)
diff --git a/R/neuron.R b/R/neuron.R
index d1174029..bc51a25e 100644
--- a/R/neuron.R
+++ b/R/neuron.R
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ as.neuron.ngraph<-function(x, vertexData=NULL, origin=NULL, Verbose=FALSE, ...){
   
   d=seglist2swc(x=subtrees,d=d)
   d=normalise_swc(d)
-  n=list(d=d,NumPoints=igraph::vcount(masterg),
+  n=list(d=d,NumPoints=nvertices(masterg),
          StartPoint=StartPoint,
          BranchPoints=branchpoints(masterg, original.ids='vid'),
          EndPoints=endpoints(masterg, original.ids='vid'),
diff --git a/R/xform.R b/R/xform.R
index 4a766445..e4b14a99 100644
--- a/R/xform.R
+++ b/R/xform.R
@@ -230,6 +230,13 @@ xform.neuronlist<-function(x, reg, subset=NULL, ..., OmitFailures=NA,
 }
 
 
+#' @rdname nvertices
+#' @export
+nvertices.igraph <- function(x, ...) {
+  # as of igraph 2.0 this is numeric
+  as.integer(igraph::vcount(x))
+}
+
 #' Mirror 3D object about a given axis, optionally using a warping registration
 #' 
 #' @description mirroring with a warping registration can be used to account 
diff --git a/man/nvertices.Rd b/man/nvertices.Rd
index 8de405a7..136faf04 100644
--- a/man/nvertices.Rd
+++ b/man/nvertices.Rd
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 % Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/xyzmatrix.R
-\name{nvertices}
+% Please edit documentation in R/xform.R, R/xyzmatrix.R
+\name{nvertices.igraph}
+\alias{nvertices.igraph}
 \alias{nvertices}
 \alias{nvertices.default}
 \alias{nvertices.neuronlist}
 \alias{nvertices.shapelist3d}
 \title{Find the number of vertices in an object (or each element of a neuronlist)}
 \usage{
+\method{nvertices}{igraph}(x, ...)
+
 nvertices(x, ...)
 
 \method{nvertices}{default}(x, ...)