diff --git a/gtsam/base/Matrix.cpp b/gtsam/base/Matrix.cpp
index 1c34a71d4..551bdac10 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Matrix.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/base/Matrix.cpp
@@ -136,10 +136,24 @@ Vector operator^(const Matrix& A, const Vector & v) {
   return A.transpose() * v;
 }
 
+const Eigen::IOFormat& matlabFormat() {
+  static const Eigen::IOFormat matlab(
+    Eigen::StreamPrecision, // precision
+    Eigen::DontAlignCols, // flags set such that rowSpacers are not added
+    ", ", // coeffSeparator
+    ";\n", // rowSeparator
+    "\t",  // rowPrefix
+    "", // rowSuffix
+    "[\n", // matPrefix
+    "\n]" // matSuffix
+  );
+  return matlab;
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 //3 argument call
 void print(const Matrix& A, const string &s, ostream& stream) {
-  cout << s << A.format(matlab) << endl;
+  cout << s << A.format(matlabFormat()) << endl;
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/base/Matrix.h b/gtsam/base/Matrix.h
index e19fb9dd6..776badcd1 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/Matrix.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/Matrix.h
@@ -76,17 +76,9 @@ GTSAM_MAKE_MATRIX_DEFS(9);
 typedef Eigen::Block<Matrix> SubMatrix;
 typedef Eigen::Block<const Matrix> ConstSubMatrix;
 
-// Matrix formatting arguments when printing. Akin to Matlab style.
-const Eigen::IOFormat matlab(
-  Eigen::StreamPrecision, // precision
-  Eigen::DontAlignCols, // flags set such that rowSpacers are not added
-  ", ", // coeffSeparator
-  ";\n", // rowSeparator
-  "\t",  // rowPrefix
-  "", // rowSuffix
-  "[\n", // matPrefix
-  "\n]" // matSuffix
-);
+// Matrix formatting arguments when printing.
+// Akin to Matlab style.
+const Eigen::IOFormat& matlabFormat();
 
 /**
  * equals with a tolerance
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp
index 318655491..c1247da2e 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ pair<Matrix3, Vector3> RQ(const Matrix3& A) {
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const Rot3& R) {
-  os << R.matrix().format(matlab);
+  os << R.matrix().format(matlabFormat());
   return os;
 }
 
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp b/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp
index 09a9a6103..bb83b672d 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/JacobianFactor.cpp
@@ -421,21 +421,11 @@ JacobianFactor::JacobianFactor(const GaussianFactorGraph& graph,
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 void JacobianFactor::print(const string& s,
     const KeyFormatter& formatter) const {
-  static const Eigen::IOFormat matlab(
-      Eigen::StreamPrecision, // precision
-      0, // flags
-      " ", // coeffSeparator
-      ";\n", // rowSeparator
-      "\t",  // rowPrefix
-      "", // rowSuffix
-      "[\n", // matPrefix
-      "\n  ]" // matSuffix
-      );
   if (!s.empty())
     cout << s << "\n";
   for (const_iterator key = begin(); key != end(); ++key) {
     cout << boost::format("  A[%1%] = ") % formatter(*key);
-    cout << getA(key).format(matlab) << endl;
+    cout << getA(key).format(matlabFormat()) << endl;
   }
   cout << formatMatrixIndented("  b = ", getb(), true) << "\n";
   if (model_)