diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_expmat_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_expmat_meat.hpp
index d50d43d0..61c448d9 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_expmat_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_expmat_meat.hpp
@@ -195,25 +195,9 @@ op_expmat_sym::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typenam
     
     arma_debug_check( (X.is_square() == false), "expmat_sym(): given matrix must be square sized" );
     
-    const uword N = X.n_rows;
-    
-    if(is_cx<eT>::yes)
+    if((arma_config::debug) && (is_cx<eT>::yes) && (sympd_helper::check_diag_imag(X) == false))
       {
-      arma_extra_debug_print("op_expmat_sym: checking imaginary components of diagonal elements");
-      
-      const T tol = T(10000) * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon();  // allow some leeway
-      
-      const eT* colmem = X.memptr();
-      
-      for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
-        {
-        const eT& X_ii      = colmem[i];
-        const  T  X_ii_imag = access::tmp_imag(X_ii);
-        
-        if(std::abs(X_ii_imag) > tol)  { return false; }
-        
-        colmem += N;
-        }
+      arma_debug_warn_level(1, "inv_sympd(): imaginary components on diagonal are non-zero");
       }
     
     if(is_op_diagmat<T1>::value || X.is_diagmat())
@@ -224,6 +208,8 @@ op_expmat_sym::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typenam
       
       eT* colmem = out.memptr();
       
+      const uword N = X.n_rows;
+      
       for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
         {
         eT& out_ii      = colmem[i];
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_spd_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_spd_meat.hpp
index 23af91bd..61a459c8 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_spd_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_inv_spd_meat.hpp
@@ -126,23 +126,9 @@ op_inv_spd_full::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typen
     // fallthrough if optimisation failed
     }
   
-  if(is_cx<eT>::yes)
+  if((arma_config::debug) && (is_cx<eT>::yes) && (sympd_helper::check_diag_imag(out) == false))
     {
-    arma_extra_debug_print("op_inv_spd_full: checking imaginary components of diagonal elements");
-    
-    const T tol = T(10000) * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon();  // allow some leeway
-    
-    const eT* colmem = out.memptr();
-    
-    for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
-      {
-      const eT& out_ii      = colmem[i];
-      const  T  out_ii_imag = access::tmp_imag(out_ii);
-      
-      if(std::abs(out_ii_imag) > tol)  { return false; }
-      
-      colmem += N;
-      }
+    arma_debug_warn_level(1, "inv_sympd(): imaginary components on diagonal are non-zero");
     }
   
   if(is_op_diagmat<T1>::value || out.is_diagmat())
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_log_det_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_log_det_meat.hpp
index 85245078..4f1411cd 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_log_det_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_log_det_meat.hpp
@@ -195,25 +195,9 @@ op_log_det_sympd::apply_direct(typename T1::pod_type& out_val, const Base<typena
   
   arma_debug_check( (A.is_square() == false), "log_det_sympd(): given matrix must be square sized" );
   
-  const uword N = A.n_rows;
-  
-  if(is_cx<eT>::yes)
+  if((arma_config::debug) && (is_cx<eT>::yes) && (sympd_helper::check_diag_imag(A) == false))
     {
-    arma_extra_debug_print("op_log_det_sympd: checking imaginary components of diagonal elements");
-    
-    const T tol = T(10000) * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon();  // allow some leeway
-    
-    const eT* colmem = A.memptr();
-    
-    for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
-      {
-      const eT& A_ii      = colmem[i];
-      const  T  A_ii_imag = access::tmp_imag(A_ii);
-      
-      if(std::abs(A_ii_imag) > tol)  { return false; }
-      
-      colmem += N;
-      }
+    arma_debug_warn_level(1, "log_det_sympd(): imaginary components on diagonal are non-zero");
     }
   
   if(is_op_diagmat<T1>::value || A.is_diagmat())
@@ -224,6 +208,8 @@ op_log_det_sympd::apply_direct(typename T1::pod_type& out_val, const Base<typena
     
     out_val = T(0);
     
+    const uword N = A.n_rows;
+    
     for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
       {
       const eT& A_ii      = colmem[i];
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_logmat_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_logmat_meat.hpp
index f57f359e..d7e858cd 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_logmat_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_logmat_meat.hpp
@@ -505,25 +505,9 @@ op_logmat_sympd::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typen
     
     arma_debug_check( (X.is_square() == false), "logmat_sympd(): given matrix must be square sized" );
     
-    if(is_cx<eT>::yes)
+    if((arma_config::debug) && (is_cx<eT>::yes) && (sympd_helper::check_diag_imag(X) == false))
       {
-      arma_extra_debug_print("op_logmat_sympd: checking imaginary components of diagonal elements");
-      
-      const T tol = T(10000) * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon();  // allow some leeway
-      
-      const eT* colmem = X.memptr();
-      
-      const uword N = X.n_rows;
-      
-      for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
-        {
-        const eT& X_ii      = colmem[i];
-        const  T  X_ii_imag = access::tmp_imag(X_ii);
-        
-        if(std::abs(X_ii_imag) > tol)  { return false; }
-        
-        colmem += N;
-        }
+      arma_debug_warn_level(1, "logmat_sympd(): imaginary components on diagonal are non-zero");
       }
     
     if(is_op_diagmat<T1>::value || X.is_diagmat())
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp
index 94a08da6..b1bd65f2 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_sqrtmat_meat.hpp
@@ -482,25 +482,9 @@ op_sqrtmat_sympd::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<type
     
     arma_debug_check( (X.is_square() == false), "sqrtmat_sympd(): given matrix must be square sized" );
     
-    if(is_cx<eT>::yes)
+    if((arma_config::debug) && (is_cx<eT>::yes) && (sympd_helper::check_diag_imag(X) == false))
       {
-      arma_extra_debug_print("op_sqrtmat_sympd: checking imaginary components of diagonal elements");
-      
-      const T tol = T(10000) * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon();  // allow some leeway
-      
-      const eT* colmem = X.memptr();
-      
-      const uword N = X.n_rows;
-      
-      for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
-        {
-        const eT& X_ii      = colmem[i];
-        const  T  X_ii_imag = access::tmp_imag(X_ii);
-        
-        if(std::abs(X_ii_imag) > tol)  { return false; }
-        
-        colmem += N;
-        }
+      arma_debug_warn_level(1, "sqrtmat_sympd(): imaginary components on the diagonal are non-zero");
       }
     
     if(is_op_diagmat<T1>::value || X.is_diagmat())
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/sympd_helper.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/sympd_helper.hpp
index bf1d745c..f9c978b9 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/sympd_helper.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/sympd_helper.hpp
@@ -447,6 +447,38 @@ analyse_matrix(bool& is_approx_sym, bool& is_approx_sympd, const Mat<eT>& A)
 
 
 
+template<typename eT>
+inline
+bool
+check_diag_imag(const Mat<eT>& A)
+  {
+  arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
+  
+  // NOTE: assuming matrix A is square-sized
+  
+  typedef typename get_pod_type<eT>::result T;
+  
+  const T tol = T(10000) * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon();  // allow some leeway
+  
+  const eT* colmem = A.memptr();
+  
+  const uword N = A.n_rows;
+  
+  for(uword i=0; i<N; ++i)
+    {
+    const eT& A_ii      = colmem[i];
+    const  T  A_ii_imag = access::tmp_imag(A_ii);
+    
+    if(std::abs(A_ii_imag) > tol)  { return false; }
+    
+    colmem += N;
+    }
+  
+  return true;
+  }
+
+
+
 }  // end of namespace sympd_helper