diff --git a/cpp/TupleConfig-inl.h b/cpp/TupleConfig-inl.h
index 7532bcf9e..06094e2b0 100644
--- a/cpp/TupleConfig-inl.h
+++ b/cpp/TupleConfig-inl.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
  *      Author: richard
  */
 
+#pragma once
+
 #include "LieConfig-inl.h"
 
 #include "TupleConfig.h"
@@ -21,16 +23,16 @@ namespace gtsam {
   template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
   void PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2>::print(const std::string& s) const {
     std::cout << "TupleConfig " << s << ", size " << size_ << "\n";
-    first.print(s + "Config1: ");
-    second.print(s + "Config2: ");
+    first().print(s + "Config1: ");
+    second().print(s + "Config2: ");
   }
 
   template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
   void PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2>::insert(const PairConfig& config) {
-  	for (typename Config1::const_iterator it = config.first.begin(); it!=config.first.end(); it++) {
+  	for (typename Config1::const_iterator it = config.first().begin(); it!=config.first().end(); it++) {
   		insert(it->first, it->second);
   	}
-  	for (typename Config2::const_iterator it = config.second.begin(); it!=config.second.end(); it++) {
+  	for (typename Config2::const_iterator it = config.second().begin(); it!=config.second().end(); it++) {
   		insert(it->first, it->second);
   	}
   }
diff --git a/cpp/TupleConfig.h b/cpp/TupleConfig.h
index 3893108dd..eb39a85b4 100644
--- a/cpp/TupleConfig.h
+++ b/cpp/TupleConfig.h
@@ -12,136 +12,7 @@
 
 namespace gtsam {
 
-  /**
-   * PairConfig:  a config that holds two data types.
-   */
-  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
-  class PairConfig : public Testable<PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2> > {
-
-  public:
-
-  	// publicly available types
-    typedef LieConfig<J1, X1> Config1;
-    typedef LieConfig<J2, X2> Config2;
-
-    // Two configs in the pair as in std:pair
-    LieConfig<J1, X1> first;
-    LieConfig<J2, X2> second;
-
-  private:
-
-    size_t size_;
-    size_t dim_;
-
-    PairConfig(const LieConfig<J1,X1>& config1, const LieConfig<J2,X2>& config2) :
-      first(config1), second(config2),
-      size_(config1.size()+config2.size()), dim_(gtsam::dim(config1)+gtsam::dim(config2)) {}
-
-  public:
-
-    /**
-     * Default constructor creates an empty config.
-     */
-    PairConfig(): size_(0), dim_(0) {}
-
-    /**
-     * Copy constructor
-     */
-    PairConfig(const PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2>& c):
-      first(c.first), second(c.second), size_(c.size_), dim_(c.dim_) {}
-
-    /**
-     * Print
-     */
-    void print(const std::string& s = "") const;
-
-    /**
-     * Test for equality in keys and values
-     */
-    bool equals(const PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2>& c, double tol=1e-9) const {
-      return first.equals(c.first, tol) && second.equals(c.second, tol); }
-
-    /**
-     * operator[] syntax to get a value by j, throws invalid_argument if
-     * value with specified j is not present.  Will generate compile-time
-     * errors if j type does not match that on which the Config is templated.
-     */
-    const X1& operator[](const J1& j) const { return first[j]; }
-    const X2& operator[](const J2& j) const { return second[j]; }
-
-    /**
-     * size is the total number of variables in this config.
-     */
-    size_t size() const { return size_; }
-
-    /**
-     * dim is the dimensionality of the tangent space
-     */
-    size_t dim() const { return dim_; }
-
-  private:
-    template<class Config, class Key, class Value>
-    void insert_helper(Config& config, const Key& j, const Value& value) {
-      config.insert(j, value);
-      size_ ++;
-      dim_ += gtsam::dim(value);
-    }
-
-    template<class Config, class Key>
-    void erase_helper(Config& config, const Key& j) {
-      size_t dim;
-      config.erase(j, dim);
-      dim_ -= dim;
-      size_ --;
-    }
-
-  public:
-    /**
-     * expmap each element
-     */
-    PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> expmap(const VectorConfig& delta) const {
-      return PairConfig(gtsam::expmap(first, delta), gtsam::expmap(second, delta)); }
-
-    /**
-     * logmap each element
-     */
-    VectorConfig logmap(const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2>& cp) const {
-    	VectorConfig ret(gtsam::logmap(first, cp.first));
-    	ret.insert(gtsam::logmap(second, cp.second));
-    	return ret;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Insert a variable with the given j
-     */
-    void insert(const J1& j, const X1& value) { insert_helper(first, j, value); }
-    void insert(const J2& j, const X2& value) { insert_helper(second, j, value); }
-
-    void insert(const PairConfig& config);
-
-    /**
-     * Remove the variable with the given j.  Throws invalid_argument if the
-     * j is not present in the config.
-     */
-    void erase(const J1& j) { erase_helper(first, j); }
-    void erase(const J2& j) { erase_helper(second, j); }
-
-    /**
-     * Check if a variable exists
-     */
-    bool exists(const J1& j) const { return first.exists(j); }
-    bool exists(const J2& j) const { return second.exists(j); }
-
-
-  };
-
-  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
-  inline PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> expmap(const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> c, const VectorConfig& delta) { return c.expmap(delta); }
-
-  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
-  inline VectorConfig logmap(const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> c0, const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2>& cp) { return c0.logmap(cp); }
-
-  /**
+/**
    *  Tuple configs to handle subconfigs of LieConfigs
    *
    *  This uses a recursive structure of config pairs to form a lisp-like
@@ -319,6 +190,8 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	  TupleConfig2() {}
 	  TupleConfig2(const TupleConfig2<Config1, Config2>& config) :
 		  TupleConfig<Config1, TupleConfigEnd<Config2> >(config) {}
+	  TupleConfig2(const Config1& cfg1, const Config2& cfg2) :
+			  TupleConfig<Config1, TupleConfigEnd<Config2> >(cfg1, TupleConfigEnd<Config2>(cfg2)) {}
   };
 
   template<class Config1, class Config2, class Config3>
@@ -326,6 +199,8 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	  TupleConfig3() {}
 	  TupleConfig3(const TupleConfig3<Config1, Config2, Config3>& config) :
 		  TupleConfig<Config1, TupleConfig<Config2, TupleConfigEnd<Config3> > >(config) {}
+	  TupleConfig3(const Config1& cfg1, const Config2& cfg2, const Config3& cfg3) :
+			  TupleConfig<Config1, TupleConfig<Config2, TupleConfigEnd<Config3> > >(cfg1, TupleConfig<Config2, TupleConfigEnd<Config3> >(cfg2, TupleConfigEnd<Config3>(cfg3))) {}
   };
 
   template<class Config1, class Config2, class Config3, class Config4>
@@ -348,4 +223,153 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	  TupleConfig6(const TupleConfig6<Config1, Config2, Config3, Config4, Config5, Config6>& config) :
 			  TupleConfig<Config1, TupleConfig<Config2, TupleConfig<Config3, TupleConfig<Config4, TupleConfig<Config5, TupleConfigEnd<Config6> > > > > >(config) {}
   };
+
+  /**
+   * PairConfig: an alias for a pair of configs using TupleConfig2
+   * STILL IN TESTING - will soon replace PairConfig
+   */
+//  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
+//  struct PairConfig : TupleConfig2<LieConfig<J1, X1>, LieConfig<J2, X2> > {
+//	  PairConfig() {}
+//	  PairConfig(const PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2>& config) :
+//		  TupleConfig2<LieConfig<J1, X1>, LieConfig<J2, X2> >(config) {}
+//	  PairConfig(const LieConfig<J1, X1>& cfg1,const LieConfig<J2, X2>& cfg2) :
+//		  TupleConfig2<LieConfig<J1, X1>, LieConfig<J2, X2> >(cfg1, cfg2) {}
+//  };
+
+  /**
+   * PairConfig:  a config that holds two data types.
+   */
+  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
+  class PairConfig : public Testable<PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2> > {
+
+  public:
+
+  	// publicly available types
+    typedef LieConfig<J1, X1> Config1;
+    typedef LieConfig<J2, X2> Config2;
+
+  protected:
+
+    // Two configs in the pair as in std:pair
+    LieConfig<J1, X1> first_;
+    LieConfig<J2, X2> second_;
+
+  private:
+
+    size_t size_;
+    size_t dim_;
+
+    PairConfig(const LieConfig<J1,X1>& config1, const LieConfig<J2,X2>& config2) :
+      first_(config1), second_(config2),
+      size_(config1.size()+config2.size()), dim_(gtsam::dim(config1)+gtsam::dim(config2)) {}
+
+  public:
+
+    /**
+     * Default constructor creates an empty config.
+     */
+    PairConfig(): size_(0), dim_(0) {}
+
+    /**
+     * Copy constructor
+     */
+    PairConfig(const PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2>& c):
+      first_(c.first_), second_(c.second_), size_(c.size_), dim_(c.dim_) {}
+
+    /**
+     * Print
+     */
+    void print(const std::string& s = "") const;
+
+    /**
+     * Test for equality in keys and values
+     */
+    bool equals(const PairConfig<J1, X1, J2, X2>& c, double tol=1e-9) const {
+      return first_.equals(c.first_, tol) && second_.equals(c.second_, tol); }
+
+    /** Direct access functions */
+    inline const Config1& first() const { return first_; }
+    inline const Config2& second() const { return second_; }
+
+    /**
+     * operator[] syntax to get a value by j, throws invalid_argument if
+     * value with specified j is not present.  Will generate compile-time
+     * errors if j type does not match that on which the Config is templated.
+     */
+    const X1& operator[](const J1& j) const { return first_[j]; }
+    const X2& operator[](const J2& j) const { return second_[j]; }
+
+    /**
+     * size is the total number of variables in this config.
+     */
+    size_t size() const { return size_; }
+
+    /**
+     * dim is the dimensionality of the tangent space
+     */
+    size_t dim() const { return dim_; }
+
+  private:
+    template<class Config, class Key, class Value>
+    void insert_helper(Config& config, const Key& j, const Value& value) {
+      config.insert(j, value);
+      size_ ++;
+      dim_ += gtsam::dim(value);
+    }
+
+    template<class Config, class Key>
+    void erase_helper(Config& config, const Key& j) {
+      size_t dim;
+      config.erase(j, dim);
+      dim_ -= dim;
+      size_ --;
+    }
+
+  public:
+    /**
+     * expmap each element
+     */
+    PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> expmap(const VectorConfig& delta) const {
+      return PairConfig(gtsam::expmap(first_, delta), gtsam::expmap(second_, delta)); }
+
+    /**
+     * logmap each element
+     */
+    VectorConfig logmap(const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2>& cp) const {
+    	VectorConfig ret(gtsam::logmap(first_, cp.first_));
+    	ret.insert(gtsam::logmap(second_, cp.second_));
+    	return ret;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Insert a variable with the given j
+     */
+    void insert(const J1& j, const X1& value) { insert_helper(first_, j, value); }
+    void insert(const J2& j, const X2& value) { insert_helper(second_, j, value); }
+
+    void insert(const PairConfig& config);
+
+    /**
+     * Remove the variable with the given j.  Throws invalid_argument if the
+     * j is not present in the config.
+     */
+    void erase(const J1& j) { erase_helper(first_, j); }
+    void erase(const J2& j) { erase_helper(second_, j); }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if a variable exists
+     */
+    bool exists(const J1& j) const { return first_.exists(j); }
+    bool exists(const J2& j) const { return second_.exists(j); }
+
+
+  };
+
+  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
+  inline PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> expmap(const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> c, const VectorConfig& delta) { return c.expmap(delta); }
+
+  template<class J1, class X1, class J2, class X2>
+  inline VectorConfig logmap(const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2> c0, const PairConfig<J1,X1,J2,X2>& cp) { return c0.logmap(cp); }
+
 }
diff --git a/cpp/testTupleConfig.cpp b/cpp/testTupleConfig.cpp
index 82fd76354..d033d56bf 100644
--- a/cpp/testTupleConfig.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testTupleConfig.cpp
@@ -328,6 +328,14 @@ TEST(TupleConfig, typedefs)
 	TupleConfig6<PoseConfig, PointConfig, LamConfig, Point3Config, Pose3Config, Point3Config2> cfg5;
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST( TupleConfig, constructor_insert )
+{
+	PoseConfig cfg1;
+	PointConfig cfg2;
+	LamConfig cfg3;
+	TupleConfig3<PoseConfig, PointConfig, LamConfig> config(cfg1, cfg2, cfg3);
+}
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 int main() { TestResult tr; return TestRegistry::runAllTests(tr); }