diff --git a/examples/Pose2SLAMExample_advanced.cpp b/examples/Pose2SLAMExample_advanced.cpp
index 513aac98d..f52423784 100644
--- a/examples/Pose2SLAMExample_advanced.cpp
+++ b/examples/Pose2SLAMExample_advanced.cpp
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	result.print("final result");
 
 	/* Get covariances */
-	Matrix covariance1  = optimizer_result.marginalCovariance(x1);
-	Matrix covariance2  = optimizer_result.marginalCovariance(x2);
+	Matrix covariance1  = optimizer_result.marginalCovariance(x1).second;
+	Matrix covariance2  = optimizer_result.marginalCovariance(x2).second;
 
 	print(covariance1, "Covariance1");
 	print(covariance2, "Covariance2");
diff --git a/gtsam/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h b/gtsam/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h
index 374dee424..1a1eda310 100644
--- a/gtsam/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h
+++ b/gtsam/nonlinear/NonlinearOptimizer.h
@@ -209,8 +209,8 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		/**
 		 * Return mean and covariance on a single variable
 		 */
-		Matrix marginalCovariance(Symbol j) const {
-			return solver_->marginalCovariance((*ordering_)[j]).second;
+		std::pair<Vector,Matrix> marginalCovariance(Symbol j) const {
+			return solver_->marginalCovariance((*ordering_)[j]);
 		}
 
 		/**