diff --git a/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h b/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h
index 47ae4dbb0..86371920c 100644
--- a/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h
+++ b/cpp/FactorGraph-inl.h
@@ -205,15 +205,11 @@ FactorGraph<Factor>::findAndRemoveFactors(const string& key) {
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 /* find factors and remove them from the factor graph: O(n)                  */
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-template<class Factor>
-typename FactorGraph<Factor>::sharedFactor
-FactorGraph<Factor>::removeAndCombineFactors(const string& key)
+template<class Factor> boost::shared_ptr<Factor>
+removeAndCombineFactors(FactorGraph<Factor>& factorGraph, const string& key)
 {
-	bool verbose = false;
-	if (verbose) cout << "FactorGraph::removeAndCombineFactors" << endl;
-	vector<sharedFactor> found = findAndRemoveFactors(key);
-	sharedFactor new_factor(new Factor(found));
-	if (verbose) cout << "FactorGraph::removeAndCombineFactors done" << endl;
+	vector<boost::shared_ptr<Factor> > found = factorGraph.findAndRemoveFactors(key);
+	boost::shared_ptr<Factor> new_factor(new Factor(found));
 	return new_factor;
 }
 
@@ -225,7 +221,7 @@ boost::shared_ptr<Conditional> _eliminateOne(FactorGraph<Factor>& graph, const s
 
 	// combine the factors of all nodes connected to the variable to be eliminated
 	// if no factors are connected to key, returns an empty factor
-	boost::shared_ptr<Factor> joint_factor = graph.removeAndCombineFactors(key);
+	boost::shared_ptr<Factor> joint_factor = removeAndCombineFactors(graph,key);
 
 	// eliminate that joint factor
 	boost::shared_ptr<Factor> factor;
diff --git a/cpp/FactorGraph.h b/cpp/FactorGraph.h
index 3f25b7cc4..f1e87f342 100644
--- a/cpp/FactorGraph.h
+++ b/cpp/FactorGraph.h
@@ -104,13 +104,6 @@ namespace gtsam {
      */
 		std::vector<sharedFactor> findAndRemoveFactors(const std::string& key);
 
-    /**
-     * extract and combine all the factors that involve a given node
-     * @param key the key for the given node
-     * @return the combined linear factor
-     */
-    sharedFactor removeAndCombineFactors(const std::string& key);
-
 	private:
 
 		/** Serialization function */
@@ -122,6 +115,15 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		}
 	}; // FactorGraph
 
+  /**
+   * Extract and combine all the factors that involve a given node
+   * Put this here as not all Factors have a combine constructor
+   * @param key the key for the given node
+   * @return the combined linear factor
+   */
+	template<class Factor> boost::shared_ptr<Factor>
+		removeAndCombineFactors(FactorGraph<Factor>& factorGraph, const std::string& key);
+
 	/** doubly templated functions */
 
 	/**
diff --git a/cpp/testLinearFactorGraph.cpp b/cpp/testLinearFactorGraph.cpp
index ecfe46837..f5ae30748 100644
--- a/cpp/testLinearFactorGraph.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testLinearFactorGraph.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ TEST( LinearFactorGraph, combine_factors_x1 )
   Vector sigmas = Vector_(6, sigma1, sigma1, sigma2, sigma2, sigma3, sigma3);
 
   // combine all factors
-  LinearFactor::shared_ptr actual = fg.removeAndCombineFactors("x1");
+  LinearFactor::shared_ptr actual = removeAndCombineFactors(fg,"x1");
 
   // the expected linear factor
   Matrix Al1 = Matrix_(6,2,
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ TEST( LinearFactorGraph, combine_factors_x2 )
   Vector sigmas = Vector_(4, sigma1, sigma1, sigma2, sigma2);
 
   // combine all factors
-  LinearFactor::shared_ptr actual = fg.removeAndCombineFactors("x2");
+  LinearFactor::shared_ptr actual = removeAndCombineFactors(fg,"x2");
 
   // the expected linear factor
   Matrix Al1 = Matrix_(4,2,
diff --git a/cpp/testSymbolicFactorGraph.cpp b/cpp/testSymbolicFactorGraph.cpp
index d6a742785..e17c96621 100644
--- a/cpp/testSymbolicFactorGraph.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testSymbolicFactorGraph.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ TEST( LinearFactorGraph, removeAndCombineFactors )
 	SymbolicFactorGraph fg(factorGraph);
 
   // combine all factors connected to x1
-  SymbolicFactor::shared_ptr actual = fg.removeAndCombineFactors("x1");
+  SymbolicFactor::shared_ptr actual = removeAndCombineFactors(fg,"x1");
 
 	list<string> keys; keys.push_back("l1"); keys.push_back("x1"); keys.push_back("x2");
   SymbolicFactor expected(keys);