diff --git a/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h b/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h
index 7564e0347..5c217d6c1 100644
--- a/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h
+++ b/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ Ordering FactorGraph<Factor>::keys() const {
  * @param columns map from keys to a sparse column of non-zero row indices
  */
 template <class Key>
-Ordering colamd(int n_col, int n_row, int nrNonZeros, const map<Key, vector<int> >& columns) {
+boost::shared_ptr<Ordering> colamd(int n_col, int n_row, int nrNonZeros, const map<Key, vector<int> >& columns) {
 
 	// Convert to compressed column major format colamd wants it in (== MATLAB format!)
 	vector<Key> initialOrder;
@@ -158,17 +158,16 @@ Ordering colamd(int n_col, int n_row, int nrNonZeros, const map<Key, vector<int>
 	delete [] A; // delete symbolic A
 
 	// Convert elimination ordering in p to an ordering
-	Ordering result;
+	boost::shared_ptr<Ordering> result(new Ordering);
 	for(int j = 0; j < n_col; j++)
-		result.push_back(initialOrder[j]);
+		result->push_back(initialOrder[j]);
 	delete [] p; // delete colamd result vector
 
 	return result;
 }
-
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 template<class Factor>
-Ordering FactorGraph<Factor>::getOrdering() const {
+boost::shared_ptr<Ordering> FactorGraph<Factor>::getOrdering_() const{
 
 	// A factor graph is really laid out in row-major format, each factor a row
 	// Below, we compute a symbolic matrix stored in sparse columns.
@@ -187,11 +186,18 @@ Ordering FactorGraph<Factor>::getOrdering() const {
 	int n_col = (int)(columns.size()); /* colamd arg 2: number of columns in A */
 
 	if(n_col == 0)
-		return Ordering(); // empty ordering
+		return boost::shared_ptr<Ordering>(new Ordering); // empty ordering
 	else
 		return colamd(n_col, n_row, nrNonZeros, columns);
 }
 
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+template<class Factor>
+Ordering FactorGraph<Factor>::getOrdering() const {
+		return *getOrdering_(); // empty ordering
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 /** O(1)                                                                     */
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/cpp/FactorGraph.h b/cpp/FactorGraph.h
index 058f6967e..21e6be96c 100644
--- a/cpp/FactorGraph.h
+++ b/cpp/FactorGraph.h
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		 */
 		Ordering getOrdering() const;
 
+	    /**
+	     * shared pointer versions for MATLAB
+	     */
+		boost::shared_ptr<Ordering>  getOrdering_() const;
+
     /**
      * Return indices for all factors that involve the given node
      * @param key the key for the given node
diff --git a/cpp/Pose2Graph.h b/cpp/Pose2Graph.h
index 4b4409c42..195a37355 100644
--- a/cpp/Pose2Graph.h
+++ b/cpp/Pose2Graph.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "Pose2Factor.h"
 #include "Pose2Config.h"
 #include "Testable.h"
+#include "Ordering.h"
 
 namespace gtsam{
 
diff --git a/cpp/gtsam.h b/cpp/gtsam.h
index e5e8f2aa4..d3aaf329e 100644
--- a/cpp/gtsam.h
+++ b/cpp/gtsam.h
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ class Pose2Graph{
 	bool equals(const Pose2Graph& p, double tol) const;
 	GaussianFactorGraph* linearize_(const Pose2Config& config) const;
 	void push_back(Pose2Factor* factor);
+	Ordering* getOrdering_() const;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/cpp/testGaussianFactorGraph.cpp b/cpp/testGaussianFactorGraph.cpp
index d77154a10..64034b5f6 100644
--- a/cpp/testGaussianFactorGraph.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testGaussianFactorGraph.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ double tol=1e-4;
 TEST( GaussianFactorGraph, equals ){
 
   GaussianFactorGraph fg = createGaussianFactorGraph();
-  fg.print("fg");
   GaussianFactorGraph fg2 = createGaussianFactorGraph();
   CHECK(fg.equals(fg2));
 }