diff --git a/cpp/NonlinearOptimizer.h b/cpp/NonlinearOptimizer.h
index ba4d15ee5..c2ba5aeee 100644
--- a/cpp/NonlinearOptimizer.h
+++ b/cpp/NonlinearOptimizer.h
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ namespace gtsam {
 			return lambda_;
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Return the config
+		 */
+		NonlinearOptimizer::shared_config config() const {
+			return config_;
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 *  linearize and optimize
 		 *  Thi returns an FGConfig, i.e., vectors in tangent space of Config
diff --git a/cpp/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp b/cpp/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp
index dce6ebbea..0abe59937 100644
--- a/cpp/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testNonlinearOptimizer.cpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ TEST( NonlinearFactorGraph, iterateLM )
 	// LM iterate with lambda 0 should be the same
 	Optimizer iterated2 = optimizer.iterateLM();
 
-	CHECK(assert_equal(iterated1.config(), iterated2.config(), 1e-9));
+	CHECK(assert_equal(*(iterated1.config()), *(iterated2.config()), 1e-9));
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
@@ -123,12 +123,12 @@ TEST( NonlinearFactorGraph, optimize )
 	// Gauss-Newton
 	Optimizer actual1 = optimizer.gaussNewton(relativeThreshold,
 			absoluteThreshold);
-	CHECK(assert_equal(actual1.config(),cstar));
+	CHECK(assert_equal(*(actual1.config()),cstar));
 
 	// Levenberg-Marquardt
 	Optimizer actual2 = optimizer.levenbergMarquardt(relativeThreshold,
 			absoluteThreshold, Optimizer::SILENT);
-	CHECK(assert_equal(actual2.config(),cstar));
+	CHECK(assert_equal(*(actual2.config()),cstar));
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */