diff --git a/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteFactorGraph.cpp b/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteFactorGraph.cpp
index 96fdfc338..436d784f7 100644
--- a/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteFactorGraph.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteFactorGraph.cpp
@@ -112,11 +112,14 @@ namespace gtsam {
 //      }
 //  }
 
-  /* ************************************************************************ */
-  // Alternate eliminate function for MPE
-  std::pair<DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr, DecisionTreeFactor::shared_ptr>  //
-  EliminateForMPE(const DiscreteFactorGraph& factors,
-                  const Ordering& frontalKeys) {
+  /**
+   * @brief Multiply all the `factors` and normalize the
+   * product to prevent underflow.
+   *
+   * @param factors The factors to multiply as a DiscreteFactorGraph.
+   * @return DecisionTreeFactor
+   */
+  static DecisionTreeFactor ProductAndNormalize(const DiscreteFactorGraph& factors) {
     // PRODUCT: multiply all factors
     gttic(product);
     DecisionTreeFactor product = factors.product();
@@ -127,6 +130,14 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
     // Normalize the product factor to prevent underflow.
     product = product / (*normalization);
+  }
+
+  /* ************************************************************************ */
+  // Alternate eliminate function for MPE
+  std::pair<DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr, DecisionTreeFactor::shared_ptr>  //
+  EliminateForMPE(const DiscreteFactorGraph& factors,
+                  const Ordering& frontalKeys) {
+    DecisionTreeFactor product = ProductAndNormalize(factors);
 
     // max out frontals, this is the factor on the separator
     gttic(max);
@@ -205,16 +216,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   std::pair<DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr, DecisionTreeFactor::shared_ptr>  //
   EliminateDiscrete(const DiscreteFactorGraph& factors,
                     const Ordering& frontalKeys) {
-    // PRODUCT: multiply all factors
-    gttic(product);
-    DecisionTreeFactor product = factors.product();
-    gttoc(product);
-
-    // Max over all the potentials by pretending all keys are frontal:
-    auto normalization = product.max(product.size());
-
-    // Normalize the product factor to prevent underflow.
-    product = product / (*normalization);
+    DecisionTreeFactor product = ProductAndNormalize(factors);
 
     // sum out frontals, this is the factor on the separator
     gttic(sum);