diff --git a/gtsam/slam/dataset.cpp b/gtsam/slam/dataset.cpp
index 607819cc7..0f4f24bd0 100644
--- a/gtsam/slam/dataset.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/slam/dataset.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,23 @@ static SharedNoiseModel readNoiseModel(ifstream& is, bool smart,
   // Read matrix and check that diagonal entries are non-zero
   Matrix M(3, 3);
   switch (noiseFormat) {
+  case NoiseFormatAUTO:
+    // Try to guess covariance matrix layout
+    if(v1 != 0.0 && v2 == 0.0 && v3 != 0.0 && v4 != 0.0 && v5 == 0.0 && v6 == 0.0)
+    {
+      // NoiseFormatGRAPH
+      M << v1, v2, v5, v2, v3, v6, v5, v6, v4;
+    }
+    else if(v1 != 0.0 && v2 == 0.0 && v3 == 0.0 && v4 != 0.0 && v5 == 0.0 && v6 != 0.0)
+    {
+      // NoiseFormatCOV
+      M << v1, v2, v3, v2, v4, v5, v3, v5, v6;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      throw std::invalid_argument("load2D: unrecognized covariance matrix format in dataset file. Please specify the noise format.");
+    }
+    break;
   case NoiseFormatG2O:
   case NoiseFormatCOV:
     // i.e., [ v1 v2 v3; v2' v4 v5; v3' v5' v6 ]
@@ -136,6 +153,7 @@ static SharedNoiseModel readNoiseModel(ifstream& is, bool smart,
     // In both cases, what is stored in file is the information matrix
     model = noiseModel::Gaussian::Information(M, smart);
     break;
+  case NoiseFormatAUTO:
   case NoiseFormatGRAPH:
   case NoiseFormatCOV:
     // These cases expect covariance matrix
diff --git a/gtsam/slam/dataset.h b/gtsam/slam/dataset.h
index 09a5baac7..3a0f8edb7 100644
--- a/gtsam/slam/dataset.h
+++ b/gtsam/slam/dataset.h
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ enum NoiseFormat {
   NoiseFormatG2O, ///< Information matrix I11, I12, I13, I22, I23, I33
   NoiseFormatTORO, ///< Information matrix, but inf_ff inf_fs inf_ss inf_rr inf_fr inf_sr
   NoiseFormatGRAPH, ///< default: toro-style order, but covariance matrix !
-  NoiseFormatCOV ///< Covariance matrix C11, C12, C13, C22, C23, C33
+  NoiseFormatCOV, ///< Covariance matrix C11, C12, C13, C22, C23, C33
+  NoiseFormatAUTO  ///< Try to guess covariance matrix layout
 };
 
 /// Robust kernel type to wrap around quadratic noise model
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ GTSAM_EXPORT GraphAndValues load2D(
     std::pair<std::string, SharedNoiseModel> dataset, int maxID = 0,
     bool addNoise = false,
     bool smart = true, //
-    NoiseFormat noiseFormat = NoiseFormatGRAPH,
+    NoiseFormat noiseFormat = NoiseFormatAUTO,
     KernelFunctionType kernelFunctionType = KernelFunctionTypeNONE);
 
 /**
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ GTSAM_EXPORT GraphAndValues load2D(
  */
 GTSAM_EXPORT GraphAndValues load2D(const std::string& filename,
     SharedNoiseModel model = SharedNoiseModel(), Key maxID = 0, bool addNoise =
-        false, bool smart = true, NoiseFormat noiseFormat = NoiseFormatGRAPH, //
+        false, bool smart = true, NoiseFormat noiseFormat = NoiseFormatAUTO, //
     KernelFunctionType kernelFunctionType = KernelFunctionTypeNONE);
 
 /// @deprecated load2D now allows for arbitrary models and wrapping a robust kernel