diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_pinv.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_pinv.hpp
index 6757bb37..96f20eca 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_pinv.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_pinv.hpp
@@ -27,18 +27,26 @@ pinv
   (
   const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& X,
   const typename T1::pod_type            tol    = 0.0,
-  const char*                            method = "dc"
+  const char*                            method = nullptr
   )
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
   typedef typename T1::elem_type eT;
   
-  const char sig = (method != nullptr) ? method[0] : char(0);
+  uword method_id = 0;  // default setting
   
-  arma_debug_check( ((sig != 's') && (sig != 'd')), "pinv(): unknown method specified" );
+  if(method != nullptr)
+    {
+    const char sig = method[0];
+    
+    arma_debug_check( ((sig != 's') && (sig != 'd')), "pinv(): unknown method specified" );
+    
+    if(sig == 's')  { method_id = 1; }
+    if(sig == 'd')  { method_id = 2; }
+    }
   
-  return (sig == 'd') ? Op<T1, op_pinv>(X.get_ref(), eT(tol), 1, 0) : Op<T1, op_pinv>(X.get_ref(), eT(tol), 0, 0);
+  return Op<T1, op_pinv>(X.get_ref(), eT(tol), method_id, uword(0));
   }
 
 
@@ -51,18 +59,24 @@ pinv
          Mat<typename T1::elem_type>&    out,
   const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& X,
   const typename T1::pod_type            tol    = 0.0,
-  const char*                            method = "dc"
+  const char*                            method = nullptr
   )
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
-  const char sig = (method != nullptr) ? method[0] : char(0);
+  uword method_id = 0;  // default setting
   
-  arma_debug_check( ((sig != 's') && (sig != 'd')), "pinv(): unknown method specified" );
+  if(method != nullptr)
+    {
+    const char sig = method[0];
+    
+    arma_debug_check( ((sig != 's') && (sig != 'd')), "pinv(): unknown method specified" );
+    
+    if(sig == 's')  { method_id = 1; }
+    if(sig == 'd')  { method_id = 2; }
+    }
   
-  const bool use_divide_and_conquer = (sig == 'd');
-  
-  const bool status = op_pinv::apply_direct(out, X.get_ref(), tol, use_divide_and_conquer);
+  const bool status = op_pinv::apply_direct(out, X.get_ref(), tol, method_id);
   
   if(status == false)
     {
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_bones.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_bones.hpp
index 9f7b59ac..4b7bbcdc 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_bones.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_bones.hpp
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ class op_pinv
   public:
   
   template<typename T1> inline static void apply(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Op<T1,op_pinv>& in);
-
-  template<typename T1> inline static bool apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& expr, typename T1::pod_type tol, const bool use_divide_and_conquer);
+  
+  template<typename T1> inline static bool apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& expr, typename T1::pod_type tol, const uword method_id);
   };
 
 
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_meat.hpp
index d7664896..c0503546 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_pinv_meat.hpp
@@ -29,11 +29,10 @@ op_pinv::apply(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Op<T1,op_pinv>& in)
   
   typedef typename T1::pod_type T;
   
-  const T tol = access::tmp_real(in.aux);
+  const T     tol       = access::tmp_real(in.aux);
+  const uword method_id = in.aux_uword_a;
   
-  const bool use_divide_and_conquer = (in.aux_uword_a == 1);
-  
-  const bool status = op_pinv::apply_direct(out, in.m, tol, use_divide_and_conquer);
+  const bool status = op_pinv::apply_direct(out, in.m, tol, method_id);
   
   if(status == false)
     {
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@ op_pinv::apply(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Op<T1,op_pinv>& in)
 template<typename T1>
 inline
 bool
-op_pinv::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& expr, typename T1::pod_type tol, const bool use_divide_and_conquer)
+op_pinv::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::elem_type,T1>& expr, typename T1::pod_type tol, const uword method_id)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
@@ -55,6 +54,10 @@ op_pinv::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::
   
   arma_debug_check((tol < T(0)), "pinv(): tolerance must be >= 0");
   
+  // method_id = 0 -> default setting
+  // method_id = 1 -> use standard algorithm
+  // method_id = 2 -> use divide and conquer algorithm
+  
   Mat<eT> A(expr.get_ref());
   
   const uword n_rows = A.n_rows;
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ op_pinv::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::
   if(A.is_empty())  { out.set_size(n_cols,n_rows); return true; }
   
   #if defined(ARMA_OPTIMISE_SYMPD)
-    const bool try_sympd = (auxlib::crippled_lapack(A) == false) && (tol == T(0)) && sympd_helper::guess_sympd_anysize(A);
+    const bool try_sympd = (auxlib::crippled_lapack(A) == false) && (tol == T(0)) && (method_id == uword(0)) && sympd_helper::guess_sympd_anysize(A);
   #else
     const bool try_sympd = false;
   #endif
@@ -89,11 +92,9 @@ op_pinv::apply_direct(Mat<typename T1::elem_type>& out, const Base<typename T1::
   Col< T> s;
   Mat<eT> V;
   
-  bool status = false;
-  
   if(n_cols > n_rows)  { A = trans(A); }
   
-  status = (use_divide_and_conquer) ? auxlib::svd_dc_econ(U, s, V, A) : auxlib::svd_econ(U, s, V, A, 'b');
+  const bool status = (method_id == uword(2)) ? auxlib::svd_dc_econ(U, s, V, A) : auxlib::svd_econ(U, s, V, A, 'b');
   
   if(status == false)  { out.soft_reset(); return false; }