diff --git a/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.cpp b/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.cpp
index 6a9fc5c35..b04db4977 100644
--- a/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.cpp
@@ -212,16 +212,15 @@ GaussianFactorGraphTree HybridGaussianFactor::asGaussianFactorGraphTree()
 }
 
 /* *******************************************************************************/
-double HybridGaussianFactor::potentiallyPrunedComponentError(
-    const sharedFactor &gf, const VectorValues &values) const {
+/// Helper method to compute the error of a component.
+static double PotentiallyPrunedComponentError(
+    const GaussianFactor::shared_ptr &gf, const VectorValues &values) {
   // Check if valid pointer
   if (gf) {
     return gf->error(values);
   } else {
-    // If not valid, pointer, it means this component was pruned,
-    // so we return maximum error.
-    // This way the negative exponential will give
-    // a probability value close to 0.0.
+    // If nullptr this component was pruned, so we return maximum error. This
+    // way the negative exponential will give a probability value close to 0.0.
     return std::numeric_limits<double>::max();
   }
 }
@@ -230,8 +229,8 @@ double HybridGaussianFactor::potentiallyPrunedComponentError(
 AlgebraicDecisionTree<Key> HybridGaussianFactor::errorTree(
     const VectorValues &continuousValues) const {
   // functor to convert from sharedFactor to double error value.
-  auto errorFunc = [this, &continuousValues](const sharedFactor &gf) {
-    return this->potentiallyPrunedComponentError(gf, continuousValues);
+  auto errorFunc = [&continuousValues](const sharedFactor &gf) {
+    return PotentiallyPrunedComponentError(gf, continuousValues);
   };
   DecisionTree<Key, double> error_tree(factors_, errorFunc);
   return error_tree;
@@ -241,7 +240,7 @@ AlgebraicDecisionTree<Key> HybridGaussianFactor::errorTree(
 double HybridGaussianFactor::error(const HybridValues &values) const {
   // Directly index to get the component, no need to build the whole tree.
   const sharedFactor gf = factors_(values.discrete());
-  return potentiallyPrunedComponentError(gf, values.continuous());
+  return PotentiallyPrunedComponentError(gf, values.continuous());
 }
 
 }  // namespace gtsam
diff --git a/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.h b/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.h
index f23d065b6..e5a575409 100644
--- a/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.h
+++ b/gtsam/hybrid/HybridGaussianFactor.h
@@ -189,10 +189,6 @@ class GTSAM_EXPORT HybridGaussianFactor : public HybridFactor {
    */
   static Factors augment(const FactorValuePairs &factors);
 
-  /// Helper method to compute the error of a component.
-  double potentiallyPrunedComponentError(
-      const sharedFactor &gf, const VectorValues &continuousValues) const;
-
   /// Helper struct to assist private constructor below.
   struct ConstructorHelper;