diff --git a/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.cpp b/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.cpp
index 1a345afac..e433243e1 100644
--- a/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.cpp
@@ -479,10 +479,9 @@ double DiscreteConditional::evaluate(const HybridValues& x) const {
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr DiscreteConditional::max(
+DiscreteFactor::shared_ptr DiscreteConditional::max(
     const Ordering& keys) const {
-  auto m = *BaseFactor::max(keys);
-  return std::make_shared<DiscreteConditional>(m.discreteKeys().size(), m);
+  return BaseFactor::max(keys);
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.h b/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.h
index 35dc346d1..c92a69050 100644
--- a/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.h
+++ b/gtsam/discrete/DiscreteConditional.h
@@ -215,13 +215,13 @@ class GTSAM_EXPORT DiscreteConditional
   size_t argmax(const DiscreteValues& parentsValues = DiscreteValues()) const;
 
   /**
-   * @brief Create new conditional by maximizing over all
+   * @brief Create new factor by maximizing over all
    * values with the same separator.
    *
    * @param keys The keys to sum over.
-   * @return DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr
+   * @return DiscreteFactor::shared_ptr
    */
-  virtual DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr max(const Ordering& keys) const;
+  virtual DiscreteFactor::shared_ptr max(const Ordering& keys) const;
 
   /// @}
   /// @name Advanced Interface
diff --git a/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.cpp b/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.cpp
index 2e476b0ee..241320649 100644
--- a/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.cpp
@@ -114,11 +114,8 @@ bool TableDistribution::equals(const DiscreteFactor& other, double tol) const {
 }
 
 /* ****************************************************************************/
-DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr TableDistribution::max(
-    const Ordering& keys) const {
-  auto m = *table_.max(keys);
-
-  return std::make_shared<TableDistribution>(m);
+DiscreteFactor::shared_ptr TableDistribution::max(const Ordering& keys) const {
+  return table_.max(keys);
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************ */
diff --git a/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.h b/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.h
index 9cbca0d26..5b36105a1 100644
--- a/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.h
+++ b/gtsam/discrete/TableDistribution.h
@@ -132,14 +132,13 @@ class GTSAM_EXPORT TableDistribution : public DiscreteConditional {
   }
 
   /**
-   * @brief Create new conditional by maximizing over all
+   * @brief Create new factor by maximizing over all
    * values with the same separator.
    *
    * @param keys The keys to sum over.
-   * @return DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr
+   * @return DiscreteFactor::shared_ptr
    */
-  virtual DiscreteConditional::shared_ptr max(
-      const Ordering& keys) const override;
+  virtual DiscreteFactor::shared_ptr max(const Ordering& keys) const override;
 
   /**
    * @brief Return assignment that maximizes value.