diff --git a/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase-inl.h b/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase-inl.h
index ed25f5a9b..30b42b48f 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase-inl.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase-inl.h
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
     return p_C;
   }
 
+#ifdef SHORTCUT_JOINTS
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   // P(C1,C2) = \int_R P(F1|S1) P(S1|R) P(F2|S1) P(S2|R) P(R)
   /* ************************************************************************* */
@@ -408,6 +409,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
     GenericSequentialSolver<FactorType> solver(joint);
     return *solver.jointFactorGraph(keys12, function);
   }
+#endif
 
   /* ************************************************************************* */
   template<class DERIVED, class CONDITIONAL>
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase.h b/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase.h
index 55e0c405b..0a47d6513 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/BayesTreeCliqueBase.h
@@ -203,11 +203,13 @@ namespace gtsam {
     /** return the marginal P(C) of the clique, using marginal caching */
     FactorGraph<FactorType> marginal2(derived_ptr root, Eliminate function) const;
 
+#ifdef SHORTCUT_JOINTS
     /**
      * return the joint P(C1,C2), where C1==this. TODO: not a method?
      * Limitation: can only calculate joint if cliques are disjoint or one of them is root
      */
     FactorGraph<FactorType> joint(derived_ptr C2, derived_ptr root, Eliminate function) const;
+#endif
 
     /**
      * This deletes the cached shortcuts of all cliques (subtree) below this clique.