diff --git a/gtsam/hybrid/HybridNonlinearFactor.h b/gtsam/hybrid/HybridNonlinearFactor.h
index 742b4c162..096c14f77 100644
--- a/gtsam/hybrid/HybridNonlinearFactor.h
+++ b/gtsam/hybrid/HybridNonlinearFactor.h
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class HybridNonlinearFactor : public HybridFactor {
     auto errorFunc =
         [continuousValues](const std::pair<sharedFactor, double>& f) {
           auto [factor, val] = f;
-          return factor->error(continuousValues) + (0.5 * val * val);
+          return factor->error(continuousValues) + (0.5 * val);
         };
     DecisionTree<Key, double> result(factors_, errorFunc);
     return result;
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class HybridNonlinearFactor : public HybridFactor {
     auto [factor, val] = factors_(discreteValues);
     // Compute the error for the selected factor
     const double factorError = factor->error(continuousValues);
-    return factorError + (0.5 * val * val);
+    return factorError + (0.5 * val);
   }
 
   /**