diff --git a/cpp/BayesTree-inl.h b/cpp/BayesTree-inl.h
index d3b56806d..3b8c41322 100644
--- a/cpp/BayesTree-inl.h
+++ b/cpp/BayesTree-inl.h
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		BOOST_FOREACH(sharedClique child, clique->children_)
 	  	child->parent_.reset();
 
-	  BOOST_FOREACH(std::string key, clique->ordering())
+	  BOOST_FOREACH(string key, clique->ordering())
 			nodes_.erase(key);
 	}
 
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	template<class Conditional>
 	template<class Factor>
 	FactorGraph<Factor>
-	BayesTree<Conditional>::joint(const std::string& key1, const std::string& key2) const {
+	BayesTree<Conditional>::joint(const string& key1, const string& key2) const {
 
 		// get clique C1 and C2
 		sharedClique C1 = (*this)[key1], C2 = (*this)[key2];
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
 	template<class Conditional>
 	template<class Factor>
 	BayesNet<Conditional>
-	BayesTree<Conditional>::jointBayesNet(const std::string& key1, const std::string& key2) const {
+	BayesTree<Conditional>::jointBayesNet(const string& key1, const string& key2) const {
 
 		// calculate marginal as a factor graph
 	  FactorGraph<Factor> fg = this->joint<Factor>(key1,key2);
@@ -344,32 +344,33 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		ordering += key1, key2;
 		return eliminate<Factor,Conditional>(fg,ordering);
 	}
-#if 0
+
 	/* ************************************************************************* */
 	template<class Conditional>
 	template<class Factor>
-	std::pair<FactorGraph<Factor>, std::list<sharedClique> >
+  pair<FactorGraph<Factor>, list<typename BayesTree<Conditional>::sharedClique> >
 	BayesTree<Conditional>::removePath(sharedClique clique) {
 
-		// base case is NULL, return empty factor graph
-		if (clique==NULL) {
-			list<sharedClique> orphans;
-			return make_pair<FactorGraph<Factor>(), orphans>;
+		FactorGraph<Factor> factors;
+		list<sharedClique> orphans;
+
+		// base case is NULL, if so we do nothing and return empties above
+		if (clique!=NULL) {
+
+			// remove path above me
+			boost::tie(factors,orphans) = removePath<Factor>(clique->parent_);
+
+			// add children to list of orphans
+			orphans.insert(orphans.begin(), clique->children_.begin(), clique->children_.end());
+
+			// remove me and add my factors
+			removeClique(clique);
+			factors.push_back(*clique);
 		}
 
-		// remove path above me
-		std::pair<FactorGraph<Factor>, std::list<sharedClique> > factors_orphans = removePath<Factor>(clique->parent_);
-
-		// add children to list of orphans
-		factors_orphans.second.insert(factors_orphans.second.begin(), clique->children_.begin(), clique->children_.end());
-
-		// remove me and add my factors
-		removeClique(clique);
-		factors.push_back(*clique);
-
-		return factors_orphans;
+		return make_pair(factors,orphans);
 	}
-#endif
+
 	/* ************************************************************************* */
 
 }
diff --git a/cpp/BayesTree.h b/cpp/BayesTree.h
index 29c29ce3c..9b22829e6 100644
--- a/cpp/BayesTree.h
+++ b/cpp/BayesTree.h
@@ -154,11 +154,11 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		/** return joint on two variables as a BayesNet */
 		template<class Factor>
 		BayesNet<Conditional> jointBayesNet(const std::string& key1, const std::string& key2) const;
-#if 0
+
 		/** Remove path from clique to root and return that path as factors plus a list of orphaned subtree roots */
 		template<class Factor>
 		std::pair<FactorGraph<Factor>, std::list<sharedClique> > removePath(sharedClique clique);
-#endif
+
 	}; // BayesTree
 
 } /// namespace gtsam
diff --git a/cpp/testBayesTree.cpp b/cpp/testBayesTree.cpp
index bfc12275d..2d4e7adaf 100644
--- a/cpp/testBayesTree.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testBayesTree.cpp
@@ -331,18 +331,18 @@ TEST( BayesTree, removePath )
 	expected.push_factor("A","B");
 	expected.push_factor("A");
 	expected.push_factor("A","C");
-#if 0
-	std::pair<FactorGraph<Factor>, std::list<sharedClique> > actual =
-			bayesTree.removePath<SymbolicFactor>(bayesTree["C"]);
-  CHECK(assert_equal(expected, actual.first));
+
+	FactorGraph<SymbolicFactor> factors;
+	list<SymbolicBayesTree::sharedClique> orphans;
+	boost::tie(factors,orphans) = bayesTree.removePath<SymbolicFactor>(bayesTree["C"]);
+  CHECK(assert_equal((FactorGraph<SymbolicFactor>)expected, factors));
 
   // remove E: factor graph with EB; E|B removed from second orphan tree
 	SymbolicFactorGraph expected3;
   expected3.push_factor("B","E");
 
-  actual = bayesTree.removePath<SymbolicFactor>(bayesTree["E"]);
-  CHECK(assert_equal(expected3, actual.first));
-#endif
+  boost::tie(factors,orphans) = bayesTree.removePath<SymbolicFactor>(bayesTree["E"]);
+  CHECK(assert_equal((FactorGraph<SymbolicFactor>)expected3, factors));
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */