diff --git a/include/extractor/compressed_edge_container.hpp b/include/extractor/compressed_edge_container.hpp
index dc247066f..5b570e724 100644
--- a/include/extractor/compressed_edge_container.hpp
+++ b/include/extractor/compressed_edge_container.hpp
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include <boost/optional.hpp>
-
 namespace osrm
 {
 namespace extractor
@@ -41,8 +39,8 @@ class CompressedEdgeContainer
                       const EdgeDuration duration2,
                       // node-penalties can be added before/or after the traversal of an edge which
                       // depends on whether we traverse the link forwards or backwards.
-                      const boost::optional<EdgeWeight> node_weight_penalty = boost::none,
-                      const boost::optional<EdgeDuration> node_duration_penalty = boost::none);
+                      const EdgeWeight node_weight_penalty = INVALID_EDGE_WEIGHT,
+                      const EdgeDuration node_duration_penalty = MAXIMAL_EDGE_DURATION);
 
     void AddUncompressedEdge(const EdgeID edge_id,
                              const NodeID target_node,
diff --git a/src/extractor/compressed_edge_container.cpp b/src/extractor/compressed_edge_container.cpp
index c2ab11d66..9645e8f4a 100644
--- a/src/extractor/compressed_edge_container.cpp
+++ b/src/extractor/compressed_edge_container.cpp
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ void CompressedEdgeContainer::CompressEdge(
     const EdgeWeight weight2,
     const EdgeDuration duration1,
     const EdgeDuration duration2,
-    const boost::optional<EdgeWeight> node_weight_penalty,
-    const boost::optional<EdgeDuration> node_duration_penalty)
+    const EdgeWeight node_weight_penalty,
+    const EdgeDuration node_duration_penalty)
 {
     // remove super-trivial geometries
     BOOST_ASSERT(SPECIAL_EDGEID != edge_id_1);
@@ -169,10 +169,10 @@ void CompressedEdgeContainer::CompressEdge(
 
     // if the via-node offers a penalty, we add the weight of the penalty as an artificial
     // segment that references SPECIAL_NODEID
-    if (node_weight_penalty && node_duration_penalty)
+    if (node_weight_penalty != INVALID_EDGE_WEIGHT && node_duration_penalty != MAXIMAL_EDGE_DURATION)
     {
         edge_bucket_list1.emplace_back(OnewayCompressedEdge{
-            via_node_id, ClipWeight(*node_weight_penalty), ClipDuration(*node_duration_penalty)});
+            via_node_id, ClipWeight(node_weight_penalty), ClipDuration(node_duration_penalty)});
     }
 
     if (HasEntryForID(edge_id_2))
diff --git a/src/extractor/graph_compressor.cpp b/src/extractor/graph_compressor.cpp
index 1af0617b5..4161466db 100644
--- a/src/extractor/graph_compressor.cpp
+++ b/src/extractor/graph_compressor.cpp
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ void GraphCompressor::Compress(
                 // doesn't have access to.
                 */
                 const bool has_node_penalty = traffic_signals.find(node_v) != traffic_signals.end();
-                boost::optional<EdgeDuration> node_duration_penalty = boost::none;
-                boost::optional<EdgeWeight> node_weight_penalty = boost::none;
+                EdgeDuration node_duration_penalty = MAXIMAL_EDGE_DURATION;
+                EdgeWeight node_weight_penalty = INVALID_EDGE_WEIGHT;
                 if (has_node_penalty)
                 {
                     // we cannot handle this as node penalty, if it depends on turn direction
@@ -277,12 +277,12 @@ void GraphCompressor::Compress(
                 graph.GetEdgeData(forward_e1).duration += forward_duration2;
                 graph.GetEdgeData(reverse_e1).duration += reverse_duration2;
 
-                if (node_weight_penalty && node_duration_penalty)
+                if (node_weight_penalty != INVALID_EDGE_WEIGHT && node_duration_penalty != MAXIMAL_EDGE_DURATION)
                 {
-                    graph.GetEdgeData(forward_e1).weight += *node_weight_penalty;
-                    graph.GetEdgeData(reverse_e1).weight += *node_weight_penalty;
-                    graph.GetEdgeData(forward_e1).duration += *node_duration_penalty;
-                    graph.GetEdgeData(reverse_e1).duration += *node_duration_penalty;
+                    graph.GetEdgeData(forward_e1).weight += node_weight_penalty;
+                    graph.GetEdgeData(reverse_e1).weight += node_weight_penalty;
+                    graph.GetEdgeData(forward_e1).duration += node_duration_penalty;
+                    graph.GetEdgeData(reverse_e1).duration += node_duration_penalty;
                 }
 
                 // extend e1's to targets of e2's