diff --git a/.cproject b/.cproject
index 3811dd5c4..221a18374 100644
--- a/.cproject
+++ b/.cproject
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@
 <buildTargets>
 <target name="install" path="wrap" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>install</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -307,6 +308,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="check" path="wrap" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>check</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -322,6 +324,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testSimpleCamera.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testSimpleCamera.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -337,7 +340,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testVSLAMFactor.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testVSLAMFactor.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -345,6 +347,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testCalibratedCamera.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testCalibratedCamera.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -352,7 +355,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testGaussianConditional.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testGaussianConditional.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -360,6 +362,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testPose2.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testPose2.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -367,6 +370,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testRot3.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testRot3.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -374,7 +378,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testNonlinearOptimizer.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testNonlinearOptimizer.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -382,6 +385,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testGaussianFactor.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testGaussianFactor.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -389,6 +393,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testGaussianFactorGraph.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testGaussianFactorGraph.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -396,7 +401,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testNonlinearFactorGraph.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testNonlinearFactorGraph.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -404,6 +408,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testPose3.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testPose3.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -411,7 +416,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testVectorConfig.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testVectorConfig.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -419,7 +423,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testPoint2.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testPoint2.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -427,6 +430,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testNonlinearFactor.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testNonlinearFactor.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -434,6 +438,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="timeGaussianFactor.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>timeGaussianFactor.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -441,6 +446,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="timeGaussianFactorGraph.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>timeGaussianFactorGraph.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -448,6 +454,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testGaussianBayesNet.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testGaussianBayesNet.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -455,7 +462,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testBayesTree.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testBayesTree.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>false</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -463,6 +469,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testSymbolicBayesNet.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testSymbolicBayesNet.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>false</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -470,7 +477,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testSymbolicFactorGraph.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testSymbolicFactorGraph.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>false</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -478,6 +484,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testVector.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testVector.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -485,6 +492,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testMatrix.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testMatrix.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -492,7 +500,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testVSLAMGraph.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testVSLAMGraph.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -500,7 +507,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testNonlinearEquality.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testNonlinearEquality.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -508,6 +514,7 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testSQP.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testSQP.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -515,15 +522,29 @@
 </target>
 <target name="testNonlinearConstraint.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>testNonlinearConstraint.run</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
 <runAllBuilders>true</runAllBuilders>
 </target>
+<target name="testSQPOptimizer.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
+<buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
+<buildTarget>testSQPOptimizer.run</buildTarget>
+<stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
+<useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
+<runAllBuilders>true</runAllBuilders>
+</target>
+<target name="testVSLAMConfig.run" path="cpp" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
+<buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
+<buildArguments/>
+<buildTarget>testVSLAMConfig.run</buildTarget>
+<stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
+<useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
+<runAllBuilders>true</runAllBuilders>
+</target>
 <target name="install" path="" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>install</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -531,7 +552,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="clean" path="" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>clean</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
@@ -539,7 +559,6 @@
 </target>
 <target name="check" path="" targetID="org.eclipse.cdt.build.MakeTargetBuilder">
 <buildCommand>make</buildCommand>
-<buildArguments/>
 <buildTarget>check</buildTarget>
 <stopOnError>true</stopOnError>
 <useDefaultCommand>true</useDefaultCommand>
diff --git a/cpp/Makefile.am b/cpp/Makefile.am
index 618eae62c..160888a8d 100644
--- a/cpp/Makefile.am
+++ b/cpp/Makefile.am
@@ -170,11 +170,13 @@ testSimpleCamera_LDADD = libgtsam.la
 
 # Visual SLAM
 sources += VSLAMConfig.cpp VSLAMGraph.cpp VSLAMFactor.cpp
-check_PROGRAMS += testVSLAMFactor testVSLAMGraph
+check_PROGRAMS += testVSLAMFactor testVSLAMGraph testVSLAMConfig
 testVSLAMFactor_SOURCES = testVSLAMFactor.cpp
 testVSLAMFactor_LDADD = libgtsam.la
 testVSLAMGraph_SOURCES = testVSLAMGraph.cpp
 testVSLAMGraph_LDADD = libgtsam.la
+testVSLAMConfig_SOURCES = testVSLAMConfig.cpp
+testVSLAMConfig_LDADD = libgtsam.la
 
 headers += Point2Prior.h Simulated2DOdometry.h Simulated2DMeasurement.h smallExample.h 
 headers += $(sources:.cpp=.h)
diff --git a/cpp/VSLAMConfig.cpp b/cpp/VSLAMConfig.cpp
index ab26e43d9..c6e498abc 100644
--- a/cpp/VSLAMConfig.cpp
+++ b/cpp/VSLAMConfig.cpp
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@ VSLAMConfig VSLAMConfig::exmap(const VectorConfig & delta) const {
 		string key = it->first;
 		if (key[0] == 'x') {
 			int cameraNumber = atoi(key.substr(1, key.size() - 1).c_str());
-			Pose3 basePose = cameraPose(cameraNumber);
-			newConfig.addCameraPose(cameraNumber, basePose.exmap(it->second));
+			if (cameraPoseExists(cameraNumber)) {
+				Pose3 basePose = cameraPose(cameraNumber);
+				newConfig.addCameraPose(cameraNumber, basePose.exmap(it->second));
+			}
 		}
 		if (key[0] == 'l') {
 			int landmarkNumber = atoi(key.substr(1, key.size() - 1).c_str());
-			Point3 basePoint = landmarkPoint(landmarkNumber);
-			newConfig.addLandmarkPoint(landmarkNumber, basePoint.exmap(it->second));
+			if (landmarkPointExists(landmarkNumber)) {
+				Point3 basePoint = landmarkPoint(landmarkNumber);
+				newConfig.addLandmarkPoint(landmarkNumber, basePoint.exmap(it->second));
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cpp/testVSLAMConfig.cpp b/cpp/testVSLAMConfig.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..89abc04de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpp/testVSLAMConfig.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * @file testVSLAMConfig.cpp
+ * @brief Tests for the Visual SLAM configuration class
+ * @author Alex Cunningham
+ */
+
+#include <CppUnitLite/TestHarness.h>
+#include <VSLAMConfig.h>
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace gtsam;
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST( VSLAMConfig, update_with_large_delta) {
+	// this test ensures that if the update for delta is larger than
+	// the size of the config, it only updates existing variables
+	VSLAMConfig init;
+	init.addCameraPose(1, Pose3());
+	init.addLandmarkPoint(1, Point3(1.0, 2.0, 3.0));
+
+	VectorConfig delta;
+	delta.insert("x1", Vector_(6, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1));
+	delta.insert("l1", Vector_(3, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1));
+	delta.insert("x2", Vector_(6, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 100.1, 4.1, 9.1));
+
+	VSLAMConfig actual = init.exmap(delta);
+	VSLAMConfig expected;
+	expected.addCameraPose(1, Pose3(Rot3(), Point3(0.1, 0.1, 0.1)));
+	expected.addLandmarkPoint(1, Point3(1.1, 2.1, 3.1));
+
+	CHECK(assert_equal(actual, expected));
+}
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+int main() { TestResult tr; return TestRegistry::runAllTests(tr); }
+/* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/cpp/testVectorConfig.cpp b/cpp/testVectorConfig.cpp
index e2e012226..444e834a9 100644
--- a/cpp/testVectorConfig.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testVectorConfig.cpp
@@ -103,6 +103,25 @@ TEST( VectorConfig, scale) {
 	CHECK(assert_equal(actual, expected));
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+TEST( VectorConfig, update_with_large_delta) {
+	// this test ensures that if the update for delta is larger than
+	// the size of the config, it only updates existing variables
+	VectorConfig init, delta;
+	init.insert("x", Vector_(2, 1.0, 2.0));
+	init.insert("y", Vector_(2, 3.0, 4.0));
+	delta.insert("x", Vector_(2, 0.1, 0.1));
+	delta.insert("y", Vector_(2, 0.1, 0.1));
+	delta.insert("penguin", Vector_(2, 0.1, 0.1));
+
+	VectorConfig actual = init.exmap(delta);
+	VectorConfig expected;
+	expected.insert("x", Vector_(2, 1.1, 2.1));
+	expected.insert("y", Vector_(2, 3.1, 4.1));
+
+	CHECK(assert_equal(actual, expected));
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 #ifdef HAVE_BOOST_SERIALIZATION
 TEST( VectorConfig, serialize)