diff --git a/examples/matlab/Pose2SLAMExample_graph.m b/examples/matlab/Pose2SLAMExample_graph.m
index 142c9b36d..5564ef30e 100644
--- a/examples/matlab/Pose2SLAMExample_graph.m
+++ b/examples/matlab/Pose2SLAMExample_graph.m
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ marginals = graph.marginals(result);
 for i=1:result.size()-1
     pose_i = result.pose(i);
     P{i}=marginals.marginalCovariance(i);
-    covarianceEllipse([pose_i.x;pose_i.y],P{i},'b')
+    plotPose2(pose_i,'b',P{i})
 end
 fprintf(1,'%.5f %.5f %.5f\n',P{99})
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diff --git a/examples/matlab/plotPose2.m b/examples/matlab/plotPose2.m
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7dbdebf5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/matlab/plotPose2.m
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+function plotPose2(p,color,P)
+% plotPose2: show a Pose2, possibly with covariance matrix
+plot(p.x,p.y,[color '.']);
+c = cos(p.theta);
+s = sin(p.theta);
+quiver(p.x,p.y,c,s,0.1,color);
+if nargin>2
+    pPp = P(1:2,1:2); % covariance matrix in pose coordinate frame    
+    gRp = [c -s;s c]; % rotation from pose to global
+    covarianceEllipse([p.x;p.y],gRp*pPp*gRp',color);
+end
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