diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
index 3e0e33609..fead20ea9 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
     /**
      * Return 3*3 transpose (inverse) rotation matrix
      */
-    const Eigen::Transpose<const Matrix3> transpose() const;
+    Matrix3 transpose() const;
 
     /// @deprecated, this is base 1, and was just confusing
     Point3 column(int index) const;
@@ -440,16 +440,25 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
     /**
      * Accessor to get to component of angle representations
+     * NOTE: these are not efficient to get to multiple separate parts,
+     * you should instead use xyz() or ypr()
+     * TODO: make this more efficient
      */
     inline double roll() const  { return xyz()(0); }
 
     /**
      * Accessor to get to component of angle representations
+     * NOTE: these are not efficient to get to multiple separate parts,
+     * you should instead use xyz() or ypr()
+     * TODO: make this more efficient
      */
     inline double pitch() const { return xyz()(1); }
 
     /**
      * Accessor to get to component of angle representations
+     * NOTE: these are not efficient to get to multiple separate parts,
+     * you should instead use xyz() or ypr()
+     * TODO: make this more efficient
      */
     inline double yaw() const   { return xyz()(2); }
 
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3M.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3M.cpp
index 85d9923fb..46a07e50a 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3M.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3M.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ Rot3 Rot3::operator*(const Rot3& R2) const {
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-const Eigen::Transpose<const Matrix3> Rot3::transpose() const {
+Matrix3 Rot3::transpose() const {
   return rot_.matrix().transpose();
 }
 
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3Q.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3Q.cpp
index 64e8324b8..0116f137d 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3Q.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3Q.cpp
@@ -79,9 +79,10 @@ namespace gtsam {
   }
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
-  const Eigen::Transpose<const Matrix3> Rot3::transpose() const {
+  Matrix3 Rot3::transpose() const {
     // `eval` for immediate evaluation (allows compilation).
-    return Rot3(matrix()).matrix().eval().transpose();
+    // return Rot3(matrix()).matrix().eval().transpose();
+    return matrix().eval().transpose();
   }
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */