diff --git a/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph-inl.h b/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph-inl.h
index 9125ff31b..0701a791f 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph-inl.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph-inl.h
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   template<class FACTOR>
   std::pair<typename FactorGraph<FACTOR>::sharedConditional, FactorGraph<FACTOR> >
     FactorGraph<FACTOR>::eliminate(const std::vector<KeyType>& variables, const Eliminate& eliminateFcn,
-    boost::optional<const VariableIndex&> variableIndex_)
+    boost::optional<const VariableIndex&> variableIndex_) const
   {
       const VariableIndex& variableIndex =
         variableIndex_ ? *variableIndex_ : VariableIndex(*this);
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph.h b/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph.h
index 53642dd76..70954152f 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/FactorGraph.h
@@ -199,12 +199,12 @@ class VariableIndex;
      */
     std::pair<sharedConditional, FactorGraph<FactorType> > eliminate(
       const std::vector<KeyType>& variables, const Eliminate& eliminateFcn,
-      boost::optional<const VariableIndex&> variableIndex = boost::none);
+      boost::optional<const VariableIndex&> variableIndex = boost::none) const;
 
     /** Eliminate a single variable, by calling FactorGraph::eliminate. */
     std::pair<sharedConditional, FactorGraph<FactorType> > eliminateOne(
         KeyType variable, const Eliminate& eliminateFcn,
-        boost::optional<const VariableIndex&> variableIndex = boost::none) {
+        boost::optional<const VariableIndex&> variableIndex = boost::none) const {
       std::vector<size_t> variables(1, variable);
       return eliminate(variables, eliminateFcn, variableIndex);
     }
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.cpp b/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.cpp
index 05678f26f..ccb421d52 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.cpp
@@ -72,14 +72,14 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   std::pair<SymbolicFactorGraph::sharedConditional, SymbolicFactorGraph>
-    SymbolicFactorGraph::eliminate(const std::vector<Index>& variables)
+    SymbolicFactorGraph::eliminate(const std::vector<Index>& variables) const
   {
     return FactorGraph<IndexFactor>::eliminate(variables, EliminateSymbolic);
   }
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   std::pair<SymbolicFactorGraph::sharedConditional, SymbolicFactorGraph>
-    SymbolicFactorGraph::eliminateOne(Index variable)
+    SymbolicFactorGraph::eliminateOne(Index variable) const
   {
     return FactorGraph<IndexFactor>::eliminateOne(variable, EliminateSymbolic);
   }
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.h b/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.h
index 5b5d19a62..9ea1255bc 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/SymbolicFactorGraph.h
@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ namespace gtsam {
      * FactorGraph<GaussianFactor>::eliminate with EliminateSymbolic as the eliminate
      * function argument.
      */
-    std::pair<sharedConditional, SymbolicFactorGraph> eliminate(const std::vector<Index>& variables);
+    std::pair<sharedConditional, SymbolicFactorGraph> eliminate(const std::vector<Index>& variables) const;
 
     /** Eliminate a single variable, by calling SymbolicFactorGraph::eliminate. */
-    std::pair<sharedConditional, SymbolicFactorGraph> eliminateOne(Index variable);
+    std::pair<sharedConditional, SymbolicFactorGraph> eliminateOne(Index variable) const;
 
     /// @}
     /// @name Standard Interface
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactorGraph.h b/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactorGraph.h
index 1dbc3a6bc..ec85deed5 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactorGraph.h
+++ b/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactorGraph.h
@@ -145,11 +145,11 @@ namespace gtsam {
      * FactorGraph<GaussianFactor>::eliminate with EliminateQR as the eliminate
      * function argument.
      */
-    std::pair<sharedConditional, GaussianFactorGraph> eliminate(const std::vector<Index>& variables, const Eliminate& function = EliminateQR) {
+    std::pair<sharedConditional, GaussianFactorGraph> eliminate(const std::vector<Index>& variables, const Eliminate& function = EliminateQR) const {
       return Base::eliminate(variables, function); }
 
     /** Eliminate a single variable, by calling GaussianFactorGraph::eliminate. */
-    std::pair<sharedConditional, GaussianFactorGraph> eliminateOne(Index variable, const Eliminate& function = EliminateQR) {
+    std::pair<sharedConditional, GaussianFactorGraph> eliminateOne(Index variable, const Eliminate& function = EliminateQR) const {
       return Base::eliminateOne(variable, function); }
 
     /** Permute the variables in the factors */