diff --git a/gtsam/base/Matrix.h b/gtsam/base/Matrix.h
index 5ded8ddfc..707f6203c 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Matrix.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/Matrix.h
@@ -215,7 +215,10 @@ Eigen::Block<const MATRIX> sub(const MATRIX& A, size_t i1, size_t i2, size_t j1,
  * @param i is the row of the upper left corner insert location
  * @param j is the column of the upper left corner insert location
  */
-GTSAM_EXPORT void insertSub(Matrix& fullMatrix, const Matrix& subMatrix, size_t i, size_t j);
+template <typename Derived1, typename Derived2>
+void insertSub(Eigen::MatrixBase<Derived1>& fullMatrix, const Eigen::MatrixBase<Derived2>& subMatrix, size_t i, size_t j) {
+  fullMatrix.block(i, j, subMatrix.rows(), subMatrix.cols()) = subMatrix;
+}
 
 /**
  * Create a matrix with submatrices along its diagonal
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/LabeledSymbol.cpp b/gtsam/inference/LabeledSymbol.cpp
index 7e573c13f..bd142a72c 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/LabeledSymbol.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/inference/LabeledSymbol.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,8 @@
 
 #include <iostream>
 
-#include <boost/mpl/char.hpp>
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
-#include <boost/function.hpp>
-#include <boost/lambda/bind.hpp>
-#include <boost/lambda/construct.hpp>
-#include <boost/lambda/lambda.hpp>
+#include <boost/bind.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
@@ -111,23 +107,21 @@ bool LabeledSymbol::operator!=(gtsam::Key comp) const {
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
+static LabeledSymbol make(gtsam::Key key) { return LabeledSymbol(key);}
+
 boost::function<bool(gtsam::Key)> LabeledSymbol::TypeTest(unsigned char c) {
-  namespace bl = boost::lambda;
-  return bl::bind(&LabeledSymbol::chr, bl::bind(bl::constructor<LabeledSymbol>(), bl::_1)) == c;
+  return bind(&LabeledSymbol::chr, bind(make, _1)) == c;
 }
 
-/* ************************************************************************* */
 boost::function<bool(gtsam::Key)> LabeledSymbol::LabelTest(unsigned char label) {
-  namespace bl = boost::lambda;
-  return bl::bind(&LabeledSymbol::label, bl::bind(bl::constructor<LabeledSymbol>(), bl::_1)) == label;
+  return bind(&LabeledSymbol::label, bind(make, _1)) == label;
 }
 
-/* ************************************************************************* */
 boost::function<bool(gtsam::Key)> LabeledSymbol::TypeLabelTest(unsigned char c, unsigned char label) {
-  namespace bl = boost::lambda;
-  return bl::bind(&LabeledSymbol::chr,   bl::bind(bl::constructor<LabeledSymbol>(), bl::_1)) == c &&
-      bl::bind(&LabeledSymbol::label, bl::bind(bl::constructor<LabeledSymbol>(), bl::_1)) == label;
+  return bind(&LabeledSymbol::chr,   bind(make, _1)) == c &&
+      bind(&LabeledSymbol::label, bind(make, _1)) == label;
 }
+/* ************************************************************************* */
 
 } // \namespace gtsam
 
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/Symbol.cpp b/gtsam/inference/Symbol.cpp
index 37a6d0897..f8b37d429 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/Symbol.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/inference/Symbol.cpp
@@ -18,19 +18,8 @@
 
 #include <gtsam/inference/Symbol.h>
 
-#include <boost/mpl/char.hpp>
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
-#include <boost/function.hpp>
-#include <boost/lambda/construct.hpp>
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-#pragma GCC diagnostic push
-#pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wunused-variable"
-#endif
-#include <boost/lambda/bind.hpp>
-#include <boost/lambda/lambda.hpp>
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
-#endif
+#include <boost/bind.hpp>
 
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <list>
@@ -71,10 +60,10 @@ Symbol::operator std::string() const {
   return str(boost::format("%c%d") % c_ % j_);
 }
 
+static Symbol make(gtsam::Key key) { return Symbol(key);}
+
 boost::function<bool(Key)> Symbol::ChrTest(unsigned char c) {
-  namespace bl = boost::lambda;
-  return bl::bind(&Symbol::chr, bl::bind(bl::constructor<Symbol>(), bl::_1))
-  == c;
+  return bind(&Symbol::chr, bind(make, _1)) == c;
 }
 
 } // namespace gtsam
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/tests/testKey.cpp b/gtsam/inference/tests/testKey.cpp
index 5b57096cb..1033c0cc9 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/tests/testKey.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/inference/tests/testKey.cpp
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@
  * @author Alex Cunningham
  */
 
-#include <boost/assign/std/list.hpp> // for operator +=
-using namespace boost::assign;
-
-#include <CppUnitLite/TestHarness.h>
+#include <gtsam/inference/Symbol.h>
 #include <gtsam/base/Testable.h>
 #include <gtsam/base/TestableAssertions.h>
-#include <gtsam/inference/Symbol.h>
 
+#include <CppUnitLite/TestHarness.h>
+
+#include <boost/assign/std/list.hpp> // for operator +=
+using namespace boost::assign;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace gtsam;
 
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ TEST(Key, KeySymbolEncoding) {
   EXPECT(assert_equal(symbol, Symbol(key)));
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST(Key, ChrTest) {
+  Key key = Symbol('c',3);
+  EXPECT(Symbol::ChrTest('c')(key));
+  EXPECT(!Symbol::ChrTest('d')(key));
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 int main() { TestResult tr; return TestRegistry::runAllTests(tr); }
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/tests/testLabeledSymbol.cpp b/gtsam/inference/tests/testLabeledSymbol.cpp
index 07727c8dc..18216453d 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/tests/testLabeledSymbol.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/inference/tests/testLabeledSymbol.cpp
@@ -14,20 +14,19 @@
  * @author Alex Cunningham
  */
 
-#include <boost/assign/std/list.hpp> // for operator +=
-using namespace boost::assign;
-
-#include <CppUnitLite/TestHarness.h>
+#include <gtsam/inference/LabeledSymbol.h>
 #include <gtsam/base/Testable.h>
 #include <gtsam/base/TestableAssertions.h>
 
-#include <gtsam/inference/LabeledSymbol.h>
-  
+#include <CppUnitLite/TestHarness.h>
+#include <boost/assign/std/list.hpp> // for operator +=
+
+using namespace boost::assign;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace gtsam;
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-TEST( testLabeledSymbol, KeyLabeledSymbolConversion ) {
+TEST(LabeledSymbol, KeyLabeledSymbolConversion ) {
   LabeledSymbol expected('x', 'A', 4);
   Key key(expected);
   LabeledSymbol actual(key);
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ TEST( testLabeledSymbol, KeyLabeledSymbolConversion ) {
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-TEST( testLabeledSymbol, KeyLabeledSymbolEncoding ) {
+TEST(LabeledSymbol, KeyLabeledSymbolEncoding ) {
 
   // Test encoding of LabeledSymbol <-> size_t <-> string
   // Encoding scheme:
@@ -69,6 +68,17 @@ TEST( testLabeledSymbol, KeyLabeledSymbolEncoding ) {
   }
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST(LabeledSymbol, ChrTest) {
+  Key key = LabeledSymbol('c','A',3);
+  EXPECT(LabeledSymbol::TypeTest('c')(key));
+  EXPECT(!LabeledSymbol::TypeTest('d')(key));
+  EXPECT(LabeledSymbol::LabelTest('A')(key));
+  EXPECT(!LabeledSymbol::LabelTest('D')(key));
+  EXPECT(LabeledSymbol::TypeLabelTest('c','A')(key));
+  EXPECT(!LabeledSymbol::TypeLabelTest('c','D')(key));
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 int main() { TestResult tr; return TestRegistry::runAllTests(tr); }
 /* ************************************************************************* */