diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_bones.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_bones.hpp
index 81e73ead..3105bf94 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_bones.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_bones.hpp
@@ -225,11 +225,11 @@ class auxlib
   inline static bool svd(Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A);
   
   
-  template<typename eT, typename T1>
-  inline static bool svd(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X);
+  template<typename eT>
+  inline static bool svd(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, Mat<eT>& A);
   
-  template<typename T, typename T1>
-  inline static bool svd(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, const Base< std::complex<T>, T1>& X);
+  template<typename T>
+  inline static bool svd(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A);
   
   template<typename eT>
   inline static bool svd_econ(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, Mat<eT>& A, const char mode);
@@ -245,11 +245,11 @@ class auxlib
   inline static bool svd_dc(Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A);
   
   
-  template<typename eT, typename T1>
-  inline static bool svd_dc(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X);
+  template<typename eT>
+  inline static bool svd_dc(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, Mat<eT>& A);
   
-  template<typename T, typename T1>
-  inline static bool svd_dc(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, const Base< std::complex<T>, T1>& X);
+  template<typename T>
+  inline static bool svd_dc(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A);
   
   template<typename eT>
   inline static bool svd_dc_econ(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, Mat<eT>& A);
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_meat.hpp
index e77efde7..d093ee37 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/auxlib_meat.hpp
@@ -3430,17 +3430,15 @@ auxlib::svd(Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A)
 
 
 
-template<typename eT, typename T1>
+template<typename eT>
 inline
 bool
-auxlib::svd(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X)
+auxlib::svd(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, Mat<eT>& A)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
   #if defined(ARMA_USE_LAPACK)
     {
-    Mat<eT> A(X.get_ref());
-    
     if(A.is_empty())
       {
       U.eye(A.n_rows, A.n_rows);
@@ -3502,7 +3500,7 @@ auxlib::svd(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X)
     arma_ignore(U);
     arma_ignore(S);
     arma_ignore(V);
-    arma_ignore(X);
+    arma_ignore(A);
     arma_stop_logic_error("svd(): use of LAPACK must be enabled");
     return false;
     }
@@ -3511,10 +3509,10 @@ auxlib::svd(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X)
 
 
 
-template<typename T, typename T1>
+template<typename T>
 inline
 bool
-auxlib::svd(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, const Base< std::complex<T>, T1>& X)
+auxlib::svd(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
@@ -3522,8 +3520,6 @@ auxlib::svd(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, con
     {
     typedef std::complex<T> eT;
     
-    Mat<eT> A(X.get_ref());
-    
     if(A.is_empty())
       {
       U.eye(A.n_rows, A.n_rows);
@@ -3586,7 +3582,7 @@ auxlib::svd(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, con
     arma_ignore(U);
     arma_ignore(S);
     arma_ignore(V);
-    arma_ignore(X);
+    arma_ignore(A);
     arma_stop_logic_error("svd(): use of LAPACK must be enabled");
     return false;
     }
@@ -3967,17 +3963,15 @@ auxlib::svd_dc(Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A)
 
 
 
-template<typename eT, typename T1>
+template<typename eT>
 inline
 bool
-auxlib::svd_dc(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X)
+auxlib::svd_dc(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, Mat<eT>& A)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
   #if defined(ARMA_USE_LAPACK)
     {
-    Mat<eT> A(X.get_ref());
-    
     if(A.is_empty())
       {
       U.eye(A.n_rows, A.n_rows);
@@ -4042,7 +4036,7 @@ auxlib::svd_dc(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X)
     arma_ignore(U);
     arma_ignore(S);
     arma_ignore(V);
-    arma_ignore(X);
+    arma_ignore(A);
     arma_stop_logic_error("svd(): use of LAPACK must be enabled");
     return false;
     }
@@ -4051,10 +4045,10 @@ auxlib::svd_dc(Mat<eT>& U, Col<eT>& S, Mat<eT>& V, const Base<eT,T1>& X)
 
 
 
-template<typename T, typename T1>
+template<typename T>
 inline
 bool
-auxlib::svd_dc(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, const Base< std::complex<T>, T1>& X)
+auxlib::svd_dc(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V, Mat< std::complex<T> >& A)
   {
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   
@@ -4062,8 +4056,6 @@ auxlib::svd_dc(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V,
     {
     typedef std::complex<T> eT;
     
-    Mat<eT> A(X.get_ref());
-    
     if(A.is_empty())
       {
       U.eye(A.n_rows, A.n_rows);
@@ -4128,7 +4120,7 @@ auxlib::svd_dc(Mat< std::complex<T> >& U, Col<T>& S, Mat< std::complex<T> >& V,
     arma_ignore(U);
     arma_ignore(S);
     arma_ignore(V);
-    arma_ignore(X);
+    arma_ignore(A);
     arma_stop_logic_error("svd(): use of LAPACK must be enabled");
     return false;
     }
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_svd.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_svd.hpp
index ebfba107..d623cc10 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_svd.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_svd.hpp
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ svd
   arma_extra_debug_sigprint();
   arma_ignore(junk);
   
+  typedef typename T1::elem_type eT;
+  
   arma_debug_check
     (
     ( ((void*)(&U) == (void*)(&S)) || (&U == &V) || ((void*)(&S) == (void*)(&V)) ),
@@ -108,8 +110,9 @@ svd
   
   arma_debug_check( ((sig != 's') && (sig != 'd')), "svd(): unknown method specified" );
   
-  // auxlib::svd() makes an internal copy of X
-  const bool status = (sig == 'd') ? auxlib::svd_dc(U, S, V, X) : auxlib::svd(U, S, V, X);
+  Mat<eT> A(X.get_ref());
+  
+  const bool status = (sig == 'd') ? auxlib::svd_dc(U, S, V, A) : auxlib::svd(U, S, V, A);
   
   if(status == false)
     {