diff --git a/gtsam/base/types.h b/gtsam/base/types.h
index 108c21ce0..0488c15c0 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/types.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/types.h
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   {
   public:
     /// Construct with a string describing the exception
-    RuntimeErrorThreadsafe(const std::string& description) : ThreadsafeException(description) {}
+    RuntimeErrorThreadsafe(const std::string& description) : ThreadsafeException<RuntimeErrorThreadsafe>(description) {}
   };
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   {
   public:
     /// Construct with a string describing the exception
-    OutOfRangeThreadsafe(const std::string& description) : ThreadsafeException(description) {}
+    OutOfRangeThreadsafe(const std::string& description) : ThreadsafeException<OutOfRangeThreadsafe>(description) {}
   };
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   {
   public:
     /// Construct with a string describing the exception
-    InvalidArgumentThreadsafe(const std::string& description) : ThreadsafeException(description) {}
+    InvalidArgumentThreadsafe(const std::string& description) : ThreadsafeException<InvalidArgumentThreadsafe>(description) {}
   };
 
 }
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/CalibratedCamera.h b/gtsam/geometry/CalibratedCamera.h
index 495d928cf..91dfad1e8 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/CalibratedCamera.h
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/CalibratedCamera.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
   class GTSAM_EXPORT CheiralityException: public ThreadsafeException<CheiralityException> {
   public:
-    CheiralityException() : ThreadsafeException("Cheirality Exception") {}
+    CheiralityException() : ThreadsafeException<CheiralityException>("Cheirality Exception") {}
   };
 
   /**
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree-inst.h b/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree-inst.h
index 5f50763fb..99e11084a 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree-inst.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree-inst.h
@@ -239,8 +239,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   template<class BAYESTREE, class GRAPH>
   template<class ETREE>
-  JunctionTree<BAYESTREE,GRAPH>
-    JunctionTree<BAYESTREE,GRAPH>::FromEliminationTree(const ETREE& eliminationTree)
+  JunctionTree<BAYESTREE,GRAPH>::JunctionTree(const ETREE& eliminationTree)
   {
     gttic(JunctionTree_FromEliminationTree);
     // Here we rely on the BayesNet having been produced by this elimination tree, such that the
@@ -258,13 +257,10 @@ namespace gtsam {
       ConstructorTraversalVisitorPre<BAYESTREE,GRAPH,ETreeNode>, ConstructorTraversalVisitorPost<BAYESTREE,GRAPH,ETreeNode>);
 
     // Assign roots from the dummy node
-    This result;
-    result.roots_ = rootData.myJTNode->children;
+    roots_ = rootData.myJTNode->children;
 
     // Transfer remaining factors from elimination tree
-    result.remainingFactors_ = eliminationTree.remainingFactors();
-
-    return result;
+    remainingFactors_ = eliminationTree.remainingFactors();
   }
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree.h b/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree.h
index f07e52a31..987bfa205 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/JunctionTree.h
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
     /** Build the junction tree from an elimination tree. */
     template<class ETREE>
-    static This FromEliminationTree(const ETREE& eliminationTree);
+      static This FromEliminationTree(const ETREE& eliminationTree) { return This(eliminationTree); }
+      
+    /** Build the junction tree from an elimination tree. */
+    template<class ETREE>
+    JunctionTree(const ETREE& eliminationTree);
     
     /** Copy constructor - makes a deep copy of the tree structure, but only pointers to factors are
      *  copied, factors are not cloned. */
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/VariableSlots.h b/gtsam/inference/VariableSlots.h
index 4e23615bc..e986b6194 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/VariableSlots.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/VariableSlots.h
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ VariableSlots::VariableSlots(const FG& factorGraph)
       // the array entry for each factor that will indicate the factor
       // does not involve the variable.
       iterator thisVarSlots; bool inserted;
-      boost::tie(thisVarSlots, inserted) = this->insert(make_pair(involvedVariable, FastVector<size_t>()));
+        boost::tie(thisVarSlots, inserted) = this->insert(std::make_pair(involvedVariable, FastVector<size_t>()));
       if(inserted)
         thisVarSlots->second.resize(factorGraph.size(), std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max());
       thisVarSlots->second[jointFactorPos] = factorVarSlot;
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/GaussianJunctionTree.cpp b/gtsam/linear/GaussianJunctionTree.cpp
index 182375925..17549d381 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/GaussianJunctionTree.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/GaussianJunctionTree.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ namespace gtsam {
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   GaussianJunctionTree::GaussianJunctionTree(
     const GaussianEliminationTree& eliminationTree) :
-  Base(Base::FromEliminationTree(eliminationTree)) {}
+  Base(eliminationTree) {}
 
 }
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h b/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h
index 0e53e3eba..812015042 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h
+++ b/gtsam/linear/linearExceptions.h
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ on gtsam::IndeterminantLinearSystemException for more information.\n";
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   class InvalidDenseElimination : public ThreadsafeException<InvalidDenseElimination> {
   public:
-    InvalidDenseElimination(const char *message) : ThreadsafeException(message) {}
+    InvalidDenseElimination(const char *message) : ThreadsafeException<InvalidDenseElimination>(message) {}
   };
 
  }
diff --git a/gtsam/nonlinear/ISAM2.cpp b/gtsam/nonlinear/ISAM2.cpp
index 0cfe4af01..0895963f1 100644
--- a/gtsam/nonlinear/ISAM2.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/nonlinear/ISAM2.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public:
   typedef boost::shared_ptr<This> shared_ptr;
 
   ISAM2JunctionTree(const GaussianEliminationTree& eliminationTree) :
-    Base(Base::FromEliminationTree(eliminationTree)) {}
+    Base(eliminationTree) {}
 };
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/symbolic/SymbolicJunctionTree.cpp b/gtsam/symbolic/SymbolicJunctionTree.cpp
index a8e9803fc..7d1af49f7 100644
--- a/gtsam/symbolic/SymbolicJunctionTree.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/symbolic/SymbolicJunctionTree.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ namespace gtsam {
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   SymbolicJunctionTree::SymbolicJunctionTree(
     const SymbolicEliminationTree& eliminationTree) :
-  Base(Base::FromEliminationTree(eliminationTree)) {}
+  Base(eliminationTree) {}
 
 }