diff --git a/gtsam/base/Vector.cpp b/gtsam/base/Vector.cpp
index 390609917..d2c1fb738 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Vector.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/base/Vector.cpp
@@ -209,11 +209,6 @@ double norm_2(const Vector& v) {
   return v.norm();
 }
 
-/* ************************************************************************* */
-Vector esqrt(const Vector& v) {
-  return v.cwiseSqrt();
-}
-
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 // imperative version, pass in x
 double houseInPlace(Vector &v) {
@@ -337,6 +332,4 @@ Vector concatVectors(size_t nrVectors, ...)
   return concatVectors(vs);
 }
 
-/* ************************************************************************* */
-
 } // namespace gtsam
diff --git a/gtsam/base/Vector.h b/gtsam/base/Vector.h
index ea7ab08cf..eeb2aa600 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Vector.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/Vector.h
@@ -236,13 +236,6 @@ GTSAM_EXPORT Vector ediv_(const Vector &a, const Vector &b);
  */
 GTSAM_EXPORT double norm_2(const Vector& v);
 
-/**
- * Elementwise sqrt of vector elements
- * @param v is a vector
- * @return [sqrt(a(i))]
- */
-GTSAM_EXPORT Vector esqrt(const Vector& v);
-
 /**
  * Dot product
  */
@@ -321,6 +314,7 @@ GTSAM_EXPORT Vector concatVectors(size_t nrVectors, ...);
 
 #ifdef GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4
 GTSAM_EXPORT inline Vector abs(const Vector& v){return v.cwiseAbs();}
+GTSAM_EXPORT inline Vector esqrt(const Vector& v) { return v.cwiseSqrt();}
 GTSAM_EXPORT inline Vector emul(const Vector &a, const Vector &b) {assert (b.size()==a.size()); return a.cwiseProduct(b);}
 GTSAM_EXPORT inline double max(const Vector &a){return a.maxCoeff();}
 GTSAM_EXPORT inline Vector reciprocal(const Vector &a) {return a.array().inverse();}
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.cpp b/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.cpp
index 15b2dcf81..5212374a7 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.cpp
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ Diagonal::shared_ptr Diagonal::Variances(const Vector& variances, bool smart) {
       if (variances(j) != variances(0)) goto full;
     return Isotropic::Variance(n, variances(0), true);
   }
-  full: return shared_ptr(new Diagonal(esqrt(variances)));
+  full: return shared_ptr(new Diagonal(variances.cwiseSqrt()));
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.h b/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.h
index 2f229cb22..cef270100 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.h
+++ b/gtsam/linear/NoiseModel.h
@@ -432,10 +432,10 @@ namespace gtsam {
        * standard devations, some of which might be zero
        */
       static shared_ptr MixedVariances(const Vector& mu, const Vector& variances) {
-        return shared_ptr(new Constrained(mu, esqrt(variances)));
+        return shared_ptr(new Constrained(mu, variances.cwiseSqrt()));
       }
       static shared_ptr MixedVariances(const Vector& variances) {
-        return shared_ptr(new Constrained(esqrt(variances)));
+        return shared_ptr(new Constrained(variances.cwiseSqrt()));
       }
 
       /**
diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/slam/AHRS.cpp b/gtsam_unstable/slam/AHRS.cpp
index 258bc5d03..ce8fd29f3 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/slam/AHRS.cpp
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/slam/AHRS.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ AHRS::AHRS(const Matrix& stationaryU, const Matrix& stationaryF, double g_e,
 
   // estimate standard deviation on gyroscope readings
   Pg_ = Cov(stationaryU);
-  Vector3 sigmas_v_g = esqrt(Pg_.diagonal() * T);
+  Vector3 sigmas_v_g = (Pg_.diagonal() * T).cwiseSqrt();
 
   // estimate standard deviation on accelerometer readings
   Pa_ = Cov(stationaryF);
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ AHRS::AHRS(const Matrix& stationaryU, const Matrix& stationaryF, double g_e,
   var_w_ << var_omega_w, var_omega_g, sigmas_v_g_sq, var_omega_a;
 
   // Quantities needed for aiding
-  sigmas_v_a_ = esqrt(T * Pa_.diagonal());
+  sigmas_v_a_ = (T * Pa_.diagonal()).cwiseSqrt();
 
   // gravity in nav frame
   n_g_ = (Vector(3) << 0.0, 0.0, g_e).finished();