diff --git a/gtsam/base/Group.h b/gtsam/base/Group.h
index 533c042c0..84f0de5e8 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Group.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/Group.h
@@ -17,18 +17,20 @@ namespace gtsam {
 template<class T>
 class GroupConcept {
 private:
-	static void concept_check(const T& t) {
+	static T concept_check(const T& t) {
 		/** assignment */
 		T t2 = t;
 
-		/** compose with another object */
-		T compose_ret = t.compose(t2);
-
-		/** invert the object and yield a new one */
-		T inverse_ret = t.inverse();
-
 		/** identity */
 		T identity = T::identity();
+
+		/** compose with another object */
+		T compose_ret = identity.compose(t2);
+
+		/** invert the object and yield a new one */
+		T inverse_ret = compose_ret.inverse();
+
+		return inverse_ret;
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/gtsam/base/Lie.h b/gtsam/base/Lie.h
index 932e069ef..bc530a9f5 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Lie.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/Lie.h
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ template <class T>
 class LieConcept {
 private:
 	/** concept checking function - implement the functions this demands */
-	static void concept_check(const T& t) {
+	static T concept_check(const T& t) {
 
 		/** assignment */
 		T t2 = t;
@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@ private:
 		Vector logmap_identity_ret = T::Logmap(t);
 
 		/** Compute l0 s.t. l2=l1*l0, where (*this) is l1 */
-		T between_ret = t.between(t2);
+		T between_ret = expmap_identity_ret.between(t2);
+
+		return between_ret;
 	}
 
 };
diff --git a/gtsam/base/Manifold.h b/gtsam/base/Manifold.h
index 430be4f7d..b84a6b525 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Manifold.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/Manifold.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ template <class T>
 class ManifoldConcept {
 private:
 	/** concept checking function - implement the functions this demands */
-	static void concept_check(const T& t) {
+	static T concept_check(const T& t) {
 
 		/** assignment */
 		T t2 = t;
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ private:
 		 * Returns local coordinates of another object
 		 */
 		Vector localCoords_ret = t.localCoordinates(t2);
+
+		return retract_ret;
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/tests/testSerialization.cpp b/tests/testSerialization.cpp
index cb75a5801..31012aa44 100644
--- a/tests/testSerialization.cpp
+++ b/tests/testSerialization.cpp
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ TEST (Serialization, visual_system) {
 	graph.addPointConstraint(1, pt1);
 	graph.addPointPrior(1, pt2, model3);
 	graph.addPoseConstraint(1, pose1);
-	graph.addPosePrior(1, pose3, model6);
+	graph.addPosePrior(1, pose2, model6);
 
 	EXPECT(equalsObj(values));
 	EXPECT(equalsObj(graph));