diff --git a/nonlinear/TupleConfig.h b/nonlinear/TupleConfig.h
index e683739f1..cf7f6d5a4 100644
--- a/nonlinear/TupleConfig.h
+++ b/nonlinear/TupleConfig.h
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	  void erase(const Key& j)  { second_.erase(j); }
 	  void erase(const Key1& j)  { first_.erase(j); }
 
+	  /** clears the config */
+	  void clear() { first_.clear(); second_.clear(); }
+
 	  /** determine whether an element exists */
 	  template<class Key>
 	  bool exists(const Key& j) const { return second_.exists(j); }
@@ -162,6 +165,9 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	  /** @return number of key/value pairs stored */
 	  size_t size() const { return first_.size() + second_.size(); }
 
+	  /** @return true if config is empty */
+	  bool empty() const { return first_.empty() && second_.empty(); }
+
 	  /** @return The dimensionality of the tangent space */
 	  size_t dim() const { return first_.dim() + second_.dim(); }
 
@@ -241,6 +247,10 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
 	  void erase(const Key1& j) { first_.erase(j); }
 
+	  void clear() { first_.clear(); }
+
+	  bool empty() const { return first_.empty(); }
+
 	  bool exists(const Key1& j) const { return first_.exists(j); }
 
 	  boost::optional<Value1> exists_(const Key1& j) const { return first_.exists_(j); }
diff --git a/tests/testTupleConfig.cpp b/tests/testTupleConfig.cpp
index dd682b36e..4dc146a68 100644
--- a/tests/testTupleConfig.cpp
+++ b/tests/testTupleConfig.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ TEST( TupleConfig, insert_equals2 )
   CHECK(!config1.equals(config2));
 }
 
-///* ************************************************************************* */
+/* ************************************************************************* */
 TEST( TupleConfig, insert_duplicate )
 {
   Pose2 x1(1,2,3), x2(6,7,8);
@@ -271,6 +271,16 @@ TEST(TupleConfig, basic_functions) {
 	configB.erase(L1);
 	CHECK(!configB.exists(L1));
 	CHECK(configB.size() == 2);
+
+	// clear
+	configA.clear();
+	CHECK(configA.size() == 0);
+	configB.clear();
+	CHECK(configB.size() == 0);
+
+	// empty
+	CHECK(configA.empty());
+	CHECK(configB.empty());
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */