diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/add_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/add_impl.hpp
index 8df9a38002..8cd582c5ab 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/add_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/add_impl.hpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ template<typename MatType>
 void AddType<MatType>::SetWeights(typename MatType::elem_type* weightPtr)
 {
   // Set the weights to wrap the given memory.
-  weights = MatType(weightPtr, 1, outSize, false, true);
+  MakeAlias(weights, weightPtr, 1, outSize);
 }
 
 template<typename MatType>
diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear3d_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear3d_impl.hpp
index fde77b31a8..cc4ae74375 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear3d_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear3d_impl.hpp
@@ -89,11 +89,10 @@ template<typename MatType, typename RegularizerType>
 void Linear3DType<MatType, RegularizerType>::SetWeights(
     typename MatType::elem_type* weightsPtr)
 {
-  weights = MatType(weightsPtr, outSize * this->inputDimensions[0] + outSize,
-      1, false, false);
-  weight = MatType(weightsPtr, outSize, this->inputDimensions[0], false,
-      false);
-  bias = MatType(weightsPtr + weight.n_elem, outSize, 1, false, false);
+  MakeAlias(weights, weightsPtr, outSize * this->inputDimensions[0] + outSize,
+      1);
+  MakeAlias(weight, weightsPtr, outSize, this->inputDimensions[0]);
+  MakeAlias(bias, weightsPtr + weight.n_elem, outSize, 1);
 }
 
 template<typename MatType, typename RegularizerType>
diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_impl.hpp
index 2e75efe683..fe7841e791 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_impl.hpp
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ template<typename MatType, typename RegularizerType>
 void LinearType<MatType, RegularizerType>::SetWeights(
     typename MatType::elem_type* weightsPtr)
 {
-  weights = MatType(weightsPtr, outSize * inSize + outSize, 1, false, false);
-  weight = MatType(weightsPtr, outSize, inSize, false, false);
-  bias = MatType(weightsPtr + weight.n_elem, outSize, 1, false, false);
+  MakeAlias(weights, weightsPtr, outSize * inSize + outSize, 1);
+  MakeAlias(weight, weightsPtr, outSize, inSize);
+  MakeAlias(bias, weightsPtr + weight.n_elem, outSize, 1);
 }
 
 template<typename MatType, typename RegularizerType>
diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_no_bias_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_no_bias_impl.hpp
index 309fce8803..bc2f18702c 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_no_bias_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/linear_no_bias_impl.hpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ template<typename MatType, typename RegularizerType>
 void LinearNoBiasType<MatType, RegularizerType>::SetWeights(
     typename MatType::elem_type* weightsPtr)
 {
-  weight = arma::mat(weightsPtr, outSize, inSize, false, false);
+  MakeAlias(weight, weightsPtr, outSize, inSize);
 }
 
 template<typename MatType, typename RegularizerType>
diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/lstm_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/lstm_impl.hpp
index 3c560879ea..41b39e3668 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/lstm_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/lstm_impl.hpp
@@ -98,66 +98,55 @@ void LSTMType<MatType>::SetWeights(
     typename MatType::elem_type* weightsPtr)
 {
   // Set the weight parameter for the output gate.
-  input2GateOutputWeight = MatType(weightsPtr, outSize, inSize,
-      false, false);
-  input2GateOutputBias = MatType(weightsPtr + input2GateOutputWeight.n_elem,
-      outSize, 1, false, false);
-  size_t offset = input2GateOutputWeight.n_elem + input2GateOutputBias.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2GateOutputWeight, weightsPtr, outSize, inSize);
+  size_t offset = input2GateOutputWeight.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2GateOutputBias, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
+  offset += input2GateOutputBias.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the forget gate.
-  input2GateForgetWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, inSize,
-      false, false);
-  input2GateForgetBias = MatType(weightsPtr + offset +
-      input2GateForgetWeight.n_elem, outSize, 1, false, false);
-  offset += input2GateForgetWeight.n_elem + input2GateForgetBias.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2GateForgetWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, inSize);
+  offset += input2GateForgetWeight.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2GateForgetBias, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
+  offset += input2GateForgetBias.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the input gate.
-  input2GateInputWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, inSize,
-      false, false);
-  input2GateInputBias = MatType(weightsPtr + offset +
-      input2GateInputWeight.n_elem, outSize, 1, false, false);
-  offset += input2GateInputWeight.n_elem + input2GateInputBias.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2GateInputWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, inSize);
+  offset += input2GateInputWeight.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2GateInputBias, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
+  offset += input2GateInputBias.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the hidden gate.
-  input2HiddenWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, inSize, false,
-      false);
-  input2HiddenBias = MatType(weightsPtr + offset + input2HiddenWeight.n_elem,
-      outSize, 1, false, false);
-  offset += input2HiddenWeight.n_elem + input2HiddenBias.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2HiddenWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, inSize);
+  offset += input2HiddenWeight.n_elem;
+  MakeAlias(input2HiddenBias, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
+  offset += input2HiddenBias.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the output multiplication.
-  output2GateOutputWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize,
-      false, false);
+  MakeAlias(output2GateOutputWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize);
   offset += output2GateOutputWeight.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the output multiplication.
-  output2GateForgetWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize,
-      false, false);
+  MakeAlias(output2GateForgetWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize);
   offset += output2GateForgetWeight.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the input multiplication.
-  output2GateInputWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize,
-      false, false);
+  MakeAlias(output2GateInputWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize);
   offset += output2GateInputWeight.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the hidden multiplication.
-  output2HiddenWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize, false,
-      false);
+  MakeAlias(output2HiddenWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, outSize);
   offset += output2HiddenWeight.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the cell multiplication.
-  cell2GateOutputWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1, false,
-      false);
+  MakeAlias(cell2GateOutputWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
   offset += cell2GateOutputWeight.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the cell - forget gate multiplication.
-  cell2GateForgetWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1, false,
-      false);
+  MakeAlias(cell2GateForgetWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
   offset += cell2GateOutputWeight.n_elem;
 
   // Set the weight parameter for the cell - input gate multiplication.
-  cell2GateInputWeight = MatType(weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1, false,
-      false);
+  MakeAlias(cell2GateInputWeight, weightsPtr + offset, outSize, 1);
 }
 
 // Forward when cellState is not needed.
diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/noisylinear_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/noisylinear_impl.hpp
index 57da526025..4df8685283 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/noisylinear_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/layer/noisylinear_impl.hpp
@@ -77,15 +77,14 @@ template<typename MatType>
 void NoisyLinearType<MatType>::SetWeights(
     typename MatType::elem_type* weightsPtr)
 {
-  weights = MatType(weightsPtr, 1, (outSize * inSize + outSize) * 2, false,
-      true);
+  MakeAlias(weights, weightsPtr, 1, (outSize * inSize + outSize) * 2);
 
-  weightMu = MatType(weightsPtr, outSize, inSize, false, true);
-  biasMu = MatType(weightsPtr + weightMu.n_elem, outSize, 1, false, true);
-  weightSigma = MatType(weightsPtr + weightMu.n_elem + biasMu.n_elem,
-      outSize, inSize, false, true);
-  biasSigma = MatType(weightsPtr + weightMu.n_elem * 2 + biasMu.n_elem,
-      outSize, 1, false, true);
+  MakeAlias(weightMu, weightsPtr, outSize, inSize);
+  MakeAlias(biasMu, weightsPtr + weightMu.n_elem, outSize, 1);
+  MakeAlias(weightSigma, weightsPtr + weightMu.n_elem + biasMu.n_elem, outSize,
+      inSize);
+  MakeAlias(biasSigma, weightsPtr + weightMu.n_elem * 2 + biasMu.n_elem,
+      outSize, 1);
 
   this->ResetNoise();
 }