diff --git a/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.cpp b/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.cpp
index 035bae319..ac9bd8812 100644
--- a/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.cpp
@@ -68,13 +68,18 @@ void LevenbergMarquardtParams::print(const std::string& str) const {
   std::cout.flush();
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+GaussianFactorGraph::shared_ptr LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer::linearize() const {
+  return graph_.linearize(state_.values);
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 void LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer::iterate() {
 
   gttic(LM_iterate);
 
   // Linearize graph
-  GaussianFactorGraph::shared_ptr linear = graph_.linearize(state_.values);
+  GaussianFactorGraph::shared_ptr linear = linearize();
 
   // Pull out parameters we'll use
   const NonlinearOptimizerParams::Verbosity nloVerbosity = params_.verbosity;
diff --git a/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.h b/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.h
index 24e30922b..5e95382ad 100644
--- a/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.h
+++ b/gtsam/nonlinear/LevenbergMarquardtOptimizer.h
@@ -177,6 +177,9 @@ protected:
 
   /** Internal function for computing a COLAMD ordering if no ordering is specified */
   LevenbergMarquardtParams ensureHasOrdering(LevenbergMarquardtParams params, const NonlinearFactorGraph& graph) const;
+
+  /** linearize, can  be overwritten */
+  virtual GaussianFactorGraph::shared_ptr linearize() const;
 };
 
 }