diff --git a/gtsam/base/DSFVector.cpp b/gtsam/base/DSFVector.cpp
index 929835cfa..24ac9b9e1 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/DSFVector.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/base/DSFVector.cpp
@@ -26,33 +26,55 @@ using namespace std;
 namespace gtsam {
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-DSFVector::DSFVector(const size_t numNodes) {
+DSFBase::DSFBase(const size_t numNodes) {
   v_ = boost::make_shared < V > (numNodes);
   int index = 0;
-  keys_.reserve(numNodes);
-  for (V::iterator it = v_->begin(); it != v_->end(); it++, index++) {
+  for (V::iterator it = v_->begin(); it != v_->end(); it++, index++)
     *it = index;
-    keys_.push_back(index);
+}
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+DSFBase::DSFBase(const boost::shared_ptr<V>& v_in) {
+  v_ = v_in;
+  int index = 0;
+  for (V::iterator it = v_->begin(); it != v_->end(); it++, index++)
+    *it = index;
+}
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+size_t DSFBase::findSet(size_t key) const {
+  size_t parent = (*v_)[key];
+  // follow parent pointers until we reach set representative
+  while (parent != key) {
+    key = parent;
+    parent = (*v_)[key];
   }
+  return parent;
+}
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+void DSFBase::makeUnionInPlace(const size_t& i1, const size_t& i2) {
+  (*v_)[findSet(i2)] = findSet(i1);
+}
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+DSFVector::DSFVector(const size_t numNodes) :
+    DSFBase(numNodes) {
+  keys_.reserve(numNodes);
+  for (size_t index = 0; index < numNodes; index++)
+    keys_.push_back(index);
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 DSFVector::DSFVector(const std::vector<size_t>& keys) :
-    keys_(keys) {
-  size_t maxKey = *(std::max_element(keys.begin(), keys.end()));
-  v_ = boost::make_shared < V > (maxKey + 1);
-  BOOST_FOREACH(const size_t key, keys)
-    (*v_)[key] = key;
+    DSFBase(1 + *std::max_element(keys.begin(), keys.end())), keys_(keys) {
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 DSFVector::DSFVector(const boost::shared_ptr<V>& v_in,
     const std::vector<size_t>& keys) :
-    keys_(keys) {
+    DSFBase(v_in), keys_(keys) {
   assert(*(std::max_element(keys.begin(), keys.end()))<v_in->size());
-  v_ = v_in;
-  BOOST_FOREACH(const size_t key, keys)
-    (*v_)[key] = key;
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
@@ -94,10 +116,5 @@ std::map<size_t, std::vector<size_t> > DSFVector::arrays() const {
   return arrays;
 }
 
-/* ************************************************************************* */
-void DSFVector::makeUnionInPlace(const size_t& i1, const size_t& i2) {
-  (*v_)[findSet(i2)] = findSet(i1);
-}
-
 } // namespace  gtsam
 
diff --git a/gtsam/base/DSFVector.h b/gtsam/base/DSFVector.h
index f3040af23..9b7b9f66e 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/DSFVector.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/DSFVector.h
@@ -28,16 +28,39 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
 /**
  * A fast implementation of disjoint set forests that uses vector as underly data structure.
+ * This is the absolute minimal DSF data structure, and only allows size_t keys
  * @addtogroup base
  */
-class GTSAM_EXPORT DSFVector {
+class GTSAM_EXPORT DSFBase {
 
 public:
   typedef std::vector<size_t> V; ///< Vector of ints
 
 private:
   boost::shared_ptr<V> v_;///< Stores parent pointers, representative iff v[i]==i
-  std::vector<size_t> keys_;///< stores keys
+
+public:
+  /// constructor that allocate new memory, allows for keys 0...numNodes-1
+  DSFBase(const size_t numNodes);
+
+  /// constructor that uses the existing memory
+  DSFBase(const boost::shared_ptr<V>& v_in);
+
+  /// find the label of the set in which {key} lives
+  size_t findSet(size_t key) const;
+
+  /// the in-place version of makeUnion
+  void makeUnionInPlace(const size_t& i1, const size_t& i2);
+};
+
+/**
+ * A fast implementation of disjoint set forests that uses vector as underly data structure.
+ * @addtogroup base
+ */
+class GTSAM_EXPORT DSFVector: public DSFBase {
+
+private:
+  std::vector<size_t> keys_;///< stores keys to support more expensive operations
 
 public:
   /// constructor that allocate new memory, uses sequential keys 0...numNodes-1
@@ -49,17 +72,6 @@ public:
   /// constructor that uses the existing memory
   DSFVector(const boost::shared_ptr<V>& v_in, const std::vector<size_t>& keys);
 
-  /// find the label of the set in which {key} lives
-  inline size_t findSet(size_t key) const {
-    size_t parent = (*v_)[key];
-    // follow parent pointers until we reach set representative
-    while (parent != key) {
-      key = parent;
-      parent = (*v_)[key];
-    }
-    return parent;
-  }
-
   /// find whether there is one and only one occurrence for the given {label}
   bool isSingleton(const size_t& label) const;
 
@@ -71,9 +83,6 @@ public:
 
   /// return all sets, i.e. a partition of all elements
   std::map<size_t, std::vector<size_t> > arrays() const;
-
-  /// the in-place version of makeUnion
-  void makeUnionInPlace(const size_t& i1, const size_t& i2);
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/gtsam/base/tests/testDSFVector.cpp b/gtsam/base/tests/testDSFVector.cpp
index 9288e2aad..cbd17a088 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/tests/testDSFVector.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/base/tests/testDSFVector.cpp
@@ -186,9 +186,6 @@ TEST(DSFVector, mergePairwiseMatches) {
   BOOST_FOREACH(const Match& m, matches)
     dsf.makeUnionInPlace(m.first,m.second);
 
-  cout << endl;
-  map<size_t, set<size_t> > sets1 = dsf.sets();
-
   // Each point is now associated with a set, represented by one of its members
   size_t rep1 = 1, rep2 = 4;
   EXPECT_LONGS_EQUAL(rep1,dsf.findSet(1));
@@ -199,16 +196,13 @@ TEST(DSFVector, mergePairwiseMatches) {
   EXPECT_LONGS_EQUAL(rep2,dsf.findSet(6));
 
   // Check that we have two connected components, 1,2,3 and 4,5,6
-  cout << endl;
   map<size_t, set<size_t> > sets = dsf.sets();
   LONGS_EQUAL(2, sets.size());
   set<size_t> expected1; expected1 += 1,2,3;
   set<size_t> actual1 = sets[rep1];
-  BOOST_FOREACH(size_t i, actual1) cout << i << " ";
   EXPECT(expected1 == actual1);
   set<size_t> expected2; expected2 += 4,5,6;
   set<size_t> actual2 = sets[rep2];
-  BOOST_FOREACH(size_t i, actual2) cout << i << " ";
   EXPECT(expected2 == actual2);
 }