diff --git a/dlib/type_safe_union/type_safe_union_kernel.h b/dlib/type_safe_union/type_safe_union_kernel.h
index 342858e2c..e4d067744 100644
--- a/dlib/type_safe_union/type_safe_union_kernel.h
+++ b/dlib/type_safe_union/type_safe_union_kernel.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <functional>
 #include "../serialize.h"
-#include "../invoke.h"
+#include "../utility.h"
 
 namespace dlib
 {
@@ -139,41 +139,38 @@ namespace dlib
         typename std::aligned_union<0, Types...>::type mem;
         int type_identity = 0;
 
-        template<
-            typename F,
-            typename TSU,
-            std::size_t I
-        >
-        static void apply_to_contents_as_type(
-            F&& f,
-            TSU&& me
-        )
+        template<typename F, typename TSU>
+        struct dispatcher
         {
-            std::forward<F>(f)(me.template unchecked_get<get_type_t<I>>());
-        }
+            constexpr static const std::size_t N = sizeof...(Types);
+            using R = decltype(std::declval<F>()(std::declval<TSU>().template unchecked_get<get_type_t<0>>()));
 
-        template<
-            typename F,
-            typename TSU,
-            std::size_t... I
-        >
-        static void apply_to_contents_impl(
-            F&& f,
-            TSU&& me,
-            dlib::index_sequence<I...>
-        )
-        {
-            using func_t = void(*)(F&&, TSU&&);
+            constexpr static const bool is_noexcept =
+                And<std::is_default_constructible<R>::value &&
+                    noexcept(std::declval<F>()(std::declval<TSU>().template unchecked_get<Types>()))...>::value;
 
-            const func_t vtable[] = {
-                /*! Empty (type_identity == 0) case !*/
-                [](F&&, TSU&&) {
-                },
-                /*! Non-empty cases !*/
-                &apply_to_contents_as_type<F&&,TSU&&,I>...
-            };
+            template<size_t I, typename std::enable_if<I == N, bool>::type = true>
+            inline R operator()(F&&, TSU&&, size_<I>)
+            noexcept(is_noexcept) { return R(); }
 
-            return vtable[me.get_current_type_id()](std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(me));
+            template<size_t I, typename std::enable_if<I < N, bool>::type = true>
+            inline R operator()(F&& f, TSU&& me, size_<I>)
+            noexcept(is_noexcept)
+            {
+                if (me.is_empty())
+                    return R();
+                else if (me.get_current_type_id() == (I+1))
+                    return std::forward<F>(f)(me.template unchecked_get<get_type_t<I>>());
+                else
+                    return (*this)(std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(me), size_<I+1>{});
+            }
+        };
+
+        template<typename F, typename TSU>
+        static inline auto dispatch(F&& f, TSU&& me)
+        noexcept(noexcept(dispatcher<F&&,TSU&&>{}(std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(me), size_<0>{})))
+        -> decltype(dispatcher<F&&,TSU&&>{}(std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(me), size_<0>{})) {
+            return dispatcher<F&&,TSU&&>{}(std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(me), size_<0>{});
         }
 
         template <typename T>
@@ -402,19 +399,19 @@ namespace dlib
         }
 
         template <typename F>
-        void apply_to_contents(
+        auto apply_to_contents(
             F&& f
-        )
-        {
-            apply_to_contents_impl(std::forward<F>(f), *this, dlib::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(Types)>{});
+        ) noexcept(noexcept(dispatch(std::forward<F>(f), std::declval<type_safe_union&>())))
+        -> decltype(dispatch(std::forward<F>(f), *this)) {
+            return dispatch(std::forward<F>(f), *this);
         }
 
         template <typename F>
-        void apply_to_contents(
+        auto apply_to_contents(
             F&& f
-        ) const
-        {
-            apply_to_contents_impl(std::forward<F>(f), *this, dlib::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(Types)>{});
+        ) const noexcept(noexcept(dispatch(std::forward<F>(f), std::declval<const type_safe_union&>())))
+        -> decltype(dispatch(std::forward<F>(f), *this)) {
+            return dispatch(std::forward<F>(f), *this);
         }
 
         template <typename T>
@@ -492,7 +489,7 @@ namespace dlib
         {
             if (type_identity == item.type_identity)
             {
-                item.apply_to_contents(swap_to{*this});
+                apply_to_contents(swap_to{item});
             }
             else if (is_empty())
             {
@@ -540,48 +537,6 @@ namespace dlib
                 )...
             };
         }
-
-        template<
-            typename R,
-            typename F,
-            typename TSU,
-            std::size_t I
-        >
-        R visit_impl_as_type(
-            F&& f,
-            TSU&& tsu
-        )
-        {
-            using Tsu = typename std::decay<TSU>::type;
-            using T   = type_safe_union_alternative_t<I, Tsu>;
-            return dlib::invoke(std::forward<F>(f), tsu.template cast_to<T>());
-        }
-
-        template<
-            typename R,
-            typename F,
-            typename TSU,
-            std::size_t... I
-        >
-        R visit_impl(
-            F&& f,
-            TSU&& tsu,
-            dlib::index_sequence<I...>
-        )
-        {
-            using func_t = R(*)(F&&, TSU&&);
-
-            const func_t vtable[] = {
-                /*! Empty (type_identity == 0) case !*/
-                [](F&&, TSU&&) {
-                    return R();
-                },
-                /*! Non-empty cases !*/
-                &visit_impl_as_type<R,F&&,TSU&&,I>...
-            };
-
-            return vtable[tsu.get_current_type_id()](std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(tsu));
-        }
     }
 
     template<
@@ -598,20 +553,13 @@ namespace dlib
         detail::for_each_type_impl(std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(tsu), dlib::make_index_sequence<Size>{});
     }
 
-    template<
-        typename F,
-        typename TSU,
-        typename Tsu = typename std::decay<TSU>::type,
-        typename T0  = type_safe_union_alternative_t<0, Tsu>
-    >
+    template<typename F, typename TSU>
     auto visit(
         F&& f,
         TSU&& tsu
-    ) -> dlib::invoke_result_t<F, decltype(tsu.template cast_to<T0>())>
-    {
-        using ReturnType = dlib::invoke_result_t<F, decltype(tsu.template cast_to<T0>())>;
-        static constexpr std::size_t Size = type_safe_union_size<Tsu>::value;
-        return detail::visit_impl<ReturnType>(std::forward<F>(f), std::forward<TSU>(tsu), dlib::make_index_sequence<Size>{});
+    ) noexcept(noexcept(tsu.apply_to_contents(std::forward<F>(f))))
+    -> decltype(tsu.apply_to_contents(std::forward<F>(f))) {
+        return tsu.apply_to_contents(std::forward<F>(f));
     }
 
     namespace detail
diff --git a/dlib/utility.h b/dlib/utility.h
index 5a200eb51..8298a87fb 100644
--- a/dlib/utility.h
+++ b/dlib/utility.h
@@ -124,6 +124,19 @@ namespace dlib
     struct are_nothrow_swappable<T> : is_nothrow_swappable<T> {};
 
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    template<bool First, bool... Rest>
+    struct And : std::integral_constant<bool, First && And<Rest...>::value> {};
+
+    template<bool Value>
+    struct And<Value> : std::integral_constant<bool, Value>{};
+
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    template<std::size_t I>
+    using size_ = std::integral_constant<std::size_t, I>;
+
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 }
 
 #endif //DLIB_UTILITY_Hh_