diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7a7c8b9c..4101016e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-build
+build*
 lib
 bin
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8cd3a08c..fe57595f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@ ELSEIF(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES MinSizeRel)
 ENDIF(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Release)
 
 # Allow the developer to select if Dynamic or Static libraries are built
-OPTION (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build Shared Libraries (preferred and required for the g2o plugin system)" ON)
+IF(MSVC) # MSVC only works if we link statically
+  OPTION (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build Shared Libraries (preferred and required for the g2o plugin system)" OFF)
+ELSE(MSVC)
+  OPTION (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build Shared Libraries (preferred and required for the g2o plugin system)" ON)
+ENDIF()
 SET (G2O_LIB_TYPE STATIC)
 IF (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   SET (G2O_LIB_TYPE SHARED)
diff --git a/g2o/core/sparse_optimizer.cpp b/g2o/core/sparse_optimizer.cpp
index 020e4710..1ec3af6f 100644
--- a/g2o/core/sparse_optimizer.cpp
+++ b/g2o/core/sparse_optimizer.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ namespace g2o{
 
       double ts =  get_time();
 
-      ok = _algorithm->solve(i, online);
+      ok = _algorithm->solve(i, online) == OptimizationAlgorithm::OK;
 
       bool errorComputed = false;
       if (cstat) {
diff --git a/g2o/stuff/command_args.cpp b/g2o/stuff/command_args.cpp
index a2aec3d6..f7d3b4e7 100644
--- a/g2o/stuff/command_args.cpp
+++ b/g2o/stuff/command_args.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ using namespace std;
 
 namespace g2o {
 
+// forward decl of some operators
+std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, std::vector<int>& v);
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const std::vector<int>& v);
+
+
 /** Helper class to sort pair based on first elem */
 template<class T1, class T2, class Pred = std::less<T1> >
 struct CmpPairFirst {
@@ -434,16 +439,14 @@ std::string CommandArgs::trim(const std::string& s) const
   return std::string(s, b, e - b + 1);
 }
 
-std::istream& operator >> (std::istream& is, std::vector<int>& v){
+std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, std::vector<int>& v){
   string s;
   if (! (is >> s) )
     return is;
 
-  char* cbase=new char[s.length()];
-  char* c=cbase;
-  char* caux=cbase;
+  const char* c = s.c_str();
+  char* caux = const_cast<char*>(c);
 
-  strcpy(c, s.c_str());
   v.clear();
   bool hasNextValue=true;
   while(hasNextValue){
@@ -455,11 +458,10 @@ std::istream& operator >> (std::istream& is, std::vector<int>& v){
     } else
       hasNextValue = false;
   }
-  delete [] cbase;
   return is;
 }
 
-std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream& os, const std::vector<int>& v){
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const std::vector<int>& v){
   if (v.size()){
     os << v[0];
   }
diff --git a/g2o/stuff/command_args.h b/g2o/stuff/command_args.h
index 045a480c..f749e0cc 100644
--- a/g2o/stuff/command_args.h
+++ b/g2o/stuff/command_args.h
@@ -131,9 +131,6 @@ class CommandArgs
     std::string trim(const std::string& s) const;
 };
 
-    std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, std::vector<int>& v);
-    std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const std::vector<int>& v);
-
 } // end namespace
 
 #endif
diff --git a/g2o/types/slam3d/edge_se3_pointxyz_depth.cpp b/g2o/types/slam3d/edge_se3_pointxyz_depth.cpp
index f765d876..2ee8ae6b 100644
--- a/g2o/types/slam3d/edge_se3_pointxyz_depth.cpp
+++ b/g2o/types/slam3d/edge_se3_pointxyz_depth.cpp
@@ -18,12 +18,9 @@ namespace g2o {
     ParameterVector pv(1);
     pv[0]=params;
     resolveCache(cache, (OptimizableGraph::Vertex*)_vertices[0],"CACHE_CAMERA",pv);
-    return cache;
+    return cache != 0;
   }
 
-
-
-
   bool EdgeSE3PointXYZDepth::read(std::istream& is) {
     int pid;
     is >> pid;