diff --git a/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h b/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h
index 0482ee376..ea6c6dbd5 100644
--- a/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h
+++ b/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #define NONLINEAROPTIMIZER_H_
 
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
+#include <boost/make_shared.hpp>
 #include "VectorConfig.h"
 #include "NonlinearFactorGraph.h"
 #include "Factorization.h"
@@ -192,7 +193,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
 			double relativeThreshold = 1e-5, absoluteThreshold = 1e-5;
 
 			// initial optimization state is the same in both cases tested
-			shared_solver solver(new S(ord));
+			shared_solver solver(new S(ord, false));
 			NonlinearOptimizer optimizer(graph, config, solver);
 
 			// Levenberg-Marquardt
@@ -201,6 +202,15 @@ namespace gtsam {
 			return result.config();
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Static interface to LM optimization (no shared_ptr arguments) - see above
+		 */
+		inline static shared_config optimizeLM(const G& graph, const T& config,
+				verbosityLevel verbosity = SILENT) {
+			return optimizeLM(boost::make_shared<const G>(graph),
+							  boost::make_shared<const T>(config), verbosity);
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 * Static interface to GN optimization using default ordering and thresholds
 		 * @param graph 	   Nonlinear factor graph to optimize
@@ -214,7 +224,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
 			double relativeThreshold = 1e-5, absoluteThreshold = 1e-5;
 
 			// initial optimization state is the same in both cases tested
-			shared_solver solver(new S(ord));
+			shared_solver solver(new S(ord, false));
 			NonlinearOptimizer optimizer(graph, config, solver);
 
 			// Gauss-Newton
@@ -223,6 +233,15 @@ namespace gtsam {
 			return result.config();
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Static interface to GN optimization (no shared_ptr arguments) - see above
+		 */
+		inline static shared_config optimizeGN(const G& graph, const T& config,
+				verbosityLevel verbosity = SILENT) {
+			return optimizeGN(boost::make_shared<const G>(graph),
+							  boost::make_shared<const T>(config), verbosity);
+		}
+
 	};
 
 	/**
diff --git a/tests/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp b/tests/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp
index 2c7cb73bc..093e9aed4 100644
--- a/tests/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp
+++ b/tests/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp
@@ -177,41 +177,55 @@ TEST( NonlinearOptimizer, optimize )
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 TEST( NonlinearOptimizer, SimpleLMOptimizer )
 {
-	  shared_ptr<example::Graph> fg(new example::Graph(
-	  		example::createReallyNonlinearFactorGraph()));
+	shared_ptr<example::Graph> fg(new example::Graph(
+			example::createReallyNonlinearFactorGraph()));
 
-		// test error at minimum
-		Point2 xstar(0,0);
-		example::Config cstar;
-		cstar.insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), xstar);
+	Point2 x0(3,3);
+	boost::shared_ptr<example::Config> c0(new example::Config);
+	c0->insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), x0);
 
-		// test error at initial = [(1-cos(3))^2 + (sin(3))^2]*50 =
-		Point2 x0(3,3);
-		boost::shared_ptr<example::Config> c0(new example::Config);
-		c0->insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), x0);
+	Optimizer::shared_config actual = Optimizer::optimizeLM(fg, c0);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(0,fg->error(*actual),tol);
+}
 
-		Optimizer::shared_config actual = Optimizer::optimizeLM(fg, c0);
-		DOUBLES_EQUAL(0,fg->error(*actual),tol);
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST( NonlinearOptimizer, SimpleLMOptimizer_noshared )
+{
+	example::Graph fg = example::createReallyNonlinearFactorGraph();
+
+	Point2 x0(3,3);
+	example::Config c0;
+	c0.insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), x0);
+
+	Optimizer::shared_config actual = Optimizer::optimizeLM(fg, c0);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(0,fg.error(*actual),tol);
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 TEST( NonlinearOptimizer, SimpleGNOptimizer )
 {
-	  shared_ptr<example::Graph> fg(new example::Graph(
-	  		example::createReallyNonlinearFactorGraph()));
+	shared_ptr<example::Graph> fg(new example::Graph(
+			example::createReallyNonlinearFactorGraph()));
 
-		// test error at minimum
-		Point2 xstar(0,0);
-		example::Config cstar;
-		cstar.insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), xstar);
+	Point2 x0(3,3);
+	boost::shared_ptr<example::Config> c0(new example::Config);
+	c0->insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), x0);
 
-		// test error at initial = [(1-cos(3))^2 + (sin(3))^2]*50 =
-		Point2 x0(3,3);
-		boost::shared_ptr<example::Config> c0(new example::Config);
-		c0->insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), x0);
+	Optimizer::shared_config actual = Optimizer::optimizeGN(fg, c0);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(0,fg->error(*actual),tol);
+}
 
-		Optimizer::shared_config actual = Optimizer::optimizeGN(fg, c0);
-		DOUBLES_EQUAL(0,fg->error(*actual),tol);
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST( NonlinearOptimizer, SimpleGNOptimizer_noshared )
+{
+	example::Graph fg = example::createReallyNonlinearFactorGraph();
+
+	Point2 x0(3,3);
+	example::Config c0;
+	c0.insert(simulated2D::PoseKey(1), x0);
+
+	Optimizer::shared_config actual = Optimizer::optimizeGN(fg, c0);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(0,fg.error(*actual),tol);
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */