diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_norm.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_norm.hpp
index 20e84b53..448b1eaa 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_norm.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_norm.hpp
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ arma_warn_unused
 typename enable_if2< is_arma_sparse_type<T1>::value, typename T1::pod_type >::result
 norm
   (
-  const T1&   X,
+  const T1&   expr,
   const uword k = uword(2),
   const typename arma_real_or_cx_only<typename T1::elem_type>::result* junk = nullptr
   )
@@ -139,19 +139,17 @@ norm
   typedef typename T1::elem_type eT;
   typedef typename T1::pod_type   T;
   
-  const SpProxy<T1> P(X);
+  const unwrap_spmat<T1> U(expr);
+  const SpMat<eT>& X   = U.M;
   
-  if(P.get_n_nonzero() == 0)  { return T(0); }
+  if(X.n_nonzero == 0)  { return T(0); }
   
-  const bool is_vec = (T1::is_xvec) || (T1::is_row) || (T1::is_col) || (P.get_n_rows() == 1) || (P.get_n_cols() == 1);
+  const bool is_vec = (T1::is_xvec) || (T1::is_row) || (T1::is_col) || (X.n_rows == 1) || (X.n_cols == 1);
   
   if(is_vec)
     {
-    const unwrap_spmat<typename SpProxy<T1>::stored_type> tmp(P.Q);
-    const SpMat<eT>& A = tmp.M;
-    
     // create a fake dense vector to allow reuse of code for dense vectors
-    Col<eT> fake_vector( access::rwp(A.values), A.n_nonzero, false );
+    Col<eT> fake_vector( access::rwp(X.values), X.n_nonzero, false );
     
     const Proxy< Col<eT> > P_fake_vector(fake_vector);
     
@@ -164,8 +162,8 @@ norm
     }
   else
     {
-    if(k == uword(1))  { return spop_norm::mat_norm_1(P); }
-    if(k == uword(2))  { return spop_norm::mat_norm_2(P); }
+    if(k == uword(1))  { return spop_norm::mat_norm_1(X); }
+    if(k == uword(2))  { return spop_norm::mat_norm_2(X); }
     
     arma_stop_logic_error("norm(): unsupported or unimplemented norm type for sparse matrices");
     }
@@ -181,7 +179,7 @@ arma_warn_unused
 typename enable_if2< is_arma_sparse_type<T1>::value, typename T1::pod_type >::result
 norm
   (
-  const T1&   X,
+  const T1&   expr,
   const char* method,
   const typename arma_real_or_cx_only<typename T1::elem_type>::result* junk = nullptr
   )
@@ -192,22 +190,19 @@ norm
   typedef typename T1::elem_type eT;
   typedef typename T1::pod_type   T;
   
-  const SpProxy<T1> P(X);
+  const unwrap_spmat<T1> U(expr);
+  const SpMat<eT>& X   = U.M;
   
-  if(P.get_n_nonzero() == 0)  { return T(0); }
-  
-  
-  const unwrap_spmat<typename SpProxy<T1>::stored_type> tmp(P.Q);
-  const SpMat<eT>& A = tmp.M;
+  if(X.n_nonzero == 0)  { return T(0); }
   
   // create a fake dense vector to allow reuse of code for dense vectors
-  Col<eT> fake_vector( access::rwp(A.values), A.n_nonzero, false );
+  Col<eT> fake_vector( access::rwp(X.values), X.n_nonzero, false );
   
   const Proxy< Col<eT> > P_fake_vector(fake_vector);
   
   
   const char sig    = (method != nullptr) ? method[0] : char(0);
-  const bool is_vec = (T1::is_xvec) || (T1::is_row) || (T1::is_col) || (P.get_n_rows() == 1) || (P.get_n_cols() == 1);
+  const bool is_vec = (T1::is_xvec) || (T1::is_row) || (T1::is_col) || (X.n_rows == 1) || (X.n_cols == 1);
   
   if(is_vec)
     {
@@ -220,7 +215,7 @@ norm
       {
       const T val = op_norm::vec_norm_min(P_fake_vector);
       
-      return (P.get_n_nonzero() < P.get_n_elem()) ? T((std::min)(T(0), val)) : T(val);
+      return (X.n_nonzero < X.n_elem) ? T((std::min)(T(0), val)) : T(val);
       }
     else
     if( (sig == 'f') || (sig == 'F') )
@@ -234,7 +229,7 @@ norm
     {
     if( (sig == 'i') || (sig == 'I') || (sig == '+') )   // inf norm
       {
-      return spop_norm::mat_norm_inf(P);
+      return spop_norm::mat_norm_inf(X);
       }
     else
     if( (sig == 'f') || (sig == 'F') )
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_bones.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_bones.hpp
index 84d0bf18..46f38125 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_bones.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_bones.hpp
@@ -23,14 +23,13 @@ class spop_norm
   {
   public:
   
-  template<typename T1> inline static typename T1::pod_type mat_norm_1(const SpProxy<T1>& P);
+  template<typename eT> inline static typename get_pod_type<eT>::result mat_norm_1(const SpMat<eT>& X);
 
-  template<typename T1> inline static typename T1::pod_type mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_real_only<typename T1::elem_type>::result* junk = nullptr);
-  template<typename T1> inline static typename T1::pod_type mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename   arma_cx_only<typename T1::elem_type>::result* junk = nullptr);
+  template<typename eT> inline static typename get_pod_type<eT>::result mat_norm_2(const SpMat<eT>& X, const typename arma_real_only<eT>::result* junk = nullptr);
+  template<typename eT> inline static typename get_pod_type<eT>::result mat_norm_2(const SpMat<eT>& X, const typename   arma_cx_only<eT>::result* junk = nullptr);
 
-  template<typename T1> inline static typename T1::pod_type mat_norm_inf(const SpProxy<T1>& P);
+  template<typename eT> inline static typename get_pod_type<eT>::result mat_norm_inf(const SpMat<eT>& X);
   };
 
 
-
 //! @}
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_meat.hpp
index cce8fe95..1d8a8397 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/spop_norm_meat.hpp
@@ -19,23 +19,23 @@
 
 
 
-template<typename T1>
+template<typename eT>
 inline
-typename T1::pod_type
-spop_norm::mat_norm_1(const SpProxy<T1>& P)
+typename get_pod_type<eT>::result
+spop_norm::mat_norm_1(const SpMat<eT>& X)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
   // TODO: this can be sped up with a dedicated implementation
-  return as_scalar( max( sum(abs(P.Q), 0), 1) );
+  return as_scalar( max( sum(abs(X), 0), 1) );
   }
 
 
 
-template<typename T1>
+template<typename eT>
 inline
-typename T1::pod_type
-spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_real_only<typename T1::elem_type>::result* junk)
+typename get_pod_type<eT>::result
+spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpMat<eT>& X, const typename arma_real_only<eT>::result* junk)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   arma_ignore(junk);
@@ -43,12 +43,9 @@ spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_real_only<typena
   // norm = sqrt( largest eigenvalue of (A^H)*A ), where ^H is the conjugate transpose
   // http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/4368/computing-the-largest-eigenvalue-of-a-very-large-sparse-matrix
   
-  typedef typename T1::elem_type eT;
-  typedef typename T1::pod_type   T;
+  typedef typename get_pod_type<eT>::result T;
   
-  const unwrap_spmat<typename SpProxy<T1>::stored_type> tmp(P.Q);
-  
-  const SpMat<eT>& A = tmp.M;
+  const SpMat<eT>& A = X;
   const SpMat<eT>  B = trans(A);
   
   const SpMat<eT>  C = (A.n_rows <= A.n_cols) ? (A*B) : (B*A);
@@ -56,21 +53,20 @@ spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_real_only<typena
   Col<T> eigval;
   eigs_sym(eigval, C, 1);
   
-  return (eigval.n_elem > 0) ? std::sqrt(eigval[0]) : T(0);
+  return (eigval.n_elem > 0) ? T(std::sqrt(eigval[0])) : T(0);
   }
 
 
 
-template<typename T1>
+template<typename eT>
 inline
-typename T1::pod_type
-spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_cx_only<typename T1::elem_type>::result* junk)
+typename get_pod_type<eT>::result
+spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpMat<eT>& X, const typename arma_cx_only<eT>::result* junk)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   arma_ignore(junk);
   
-  typedef typename T1::elem_type eT;
-  typedef typename T1::pod_type   T;
+  typedef typename get_pod_type<eT>::result T;
   
   // we're calling eigs_gen(), which currently requires ARPACK
   #if !defined(ARMA_USE_ARPACK)
@@ -80,9 +76,7 @@ spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_cx_only<typename
     }
   #endif
   
-  const unwrap_spmat<typename SpProxy<T1>::stored_type> tmp(P.Q);
-  
-  const SpMat<eT>& A = tmp.M;
+  const SpMat<eT>& A = X;
   const SpMat<eT>  B = trans(A);
   
   const SpMat<eT>  C = (A.n_rows <= A.n_cols) ? (A*B) : (B*A);
@@ -90,20 +84,20 @@ spop_norm::mat_norm_2(const SpProxy<T1>& P, const typename arma_cx_only<typename
   Col<eT> eigval;
   eigs_gen(eigval, C, 1);
   
-  return (eigval.n_elem > 0) ? std::sqrt(std::real(eigval[0])) : T(0);
+  return (eigval.n_elem > 0) ? T(std::sqrt(std::real(eigval[0]))) : T(0);
   }
 
 
 
-template<typename T1>
+template<typename eT>
 inline
-typename T1::pod_type
-spop_norm::mat_norm_inf(const SpProxy<T1>& P)
+typename get_pod_type<eT>::result
+spop_norm::mat_norm_inf(const SpMat<eT>& X)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
   // TODO: this can be sped up with a dedicated implementation
-  return as_scalar( max( sum(abs(P.Q), 1), 0) );
+  return as_scalar( max( sum(abs(X), 1), 0) );
   }