diff --git a/gtsam/linear/HessianFactor.cpp b/gtsam/linear/HessianFactor.cpp
index 8a9adf6f6..6a980eac2 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/HessianFactor.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/HessianFactor.cpp
@@ -313,11 +313,9 @@ VectorValues HessianFactor::hessianDiagonal() const {
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 void HessianFactor::hessianDiagonalAdd(VectorValues &d) const {
   for (DenseIndex j = 0; j < (DenseIndex)size(); ++j) {
-    auto item = d.find(keys_[j]);
-    if(item != d.end()) {
-      item->second += info_.diagonal(j);
-    } else {
-      d.emplace(keys_[j], info_.diagonal(j));
+    auto result = d.emplace(keys_[j], info_.diagonal(j));
+    if(!result.second) {
+      result.first->second += info_.diagonal(j);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp b/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp
index d0e702f06..af2aa5f45 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp
@@ -552,28 +552,15 @@ VectorValues JacobianFactor::hessianDiagonal() const {
 void JacobianFactor::hessianDiagonalAdd(VectorValues& d) const {
   for (size_t pos = 0; pos < size(); ++pos) {
     Key j = keys_[pos];
-    auto item = d.find(j);
+    size_t nj = Ab_(pos).cols();
+    auto result = d.emplace(j, nj);
 
-    if(item != d.end()) {
-      size_t nj = Ab_(pos).cols();
-      Vector& dj = item->second;
-      for (size_t k = 0; k < nj; ++k) {
-        Vector column_k = Ab_(pos).col(k);
-        if (model_)
-          model_->whitenInPlace(column_k);
-        dj(k) += dot(column_k, column_k);
-      }
-    } else {
-      size_t nj = Ab_(pos).cols();
-      Vector dj(nj);
-      for (size_t k = 0; k < nj; ++k) {
-        Vector column_k = Ab_(pos).col(k);
-        if (model_)
-          model_->whitenInPlace(column_k);
-        dj(k) = dot(column_k, column_k);
-      }
-
-      d.emplace(j, dj);
+    Vector& dj = result.first->second;
+    for (size_t k = 0; k < nj; ++k) {
+      Vector column_k = Ab_(pos).col(k);
+      if (model_)
+        model_->whitenInPlace(column_k);
+      dj(k) += dot(column_k, column_k);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/gtsam/slam/RegularImplicitSchurFactor.h b/gtsam/slam/RegularImplicitSchurFactor.h
index 342dc5c65..4443d6a6d 100644
--- a/gtsam/slam/RegularImplicitSchurFactor.h
+++ b/gtsam/slam/RegularImplicitSchurFactor.h
@@ -172,11 +172,9 @@ public:
         dj(k) -= FtE.row(k) * PointCovariance_ * FtE.row(k).transpose();
       }
 
-      auto item = d.find(j);
-      if(item != d.end()) {
-        item->second += dj;
-      } else {
-        d.emplace(j, dj);
+      auto result = d.emplace(j, dj);
+      if(!result.second) {
+        result.first->second += dj;
       }
     }
   }