diff --git a/src/Factorizations/mplu!.jl b/src/Factorizations/mplu!.jl
index d613fb12..ba71a004 100644
--- a/src/Factorizations/mplu!.jl
+++ b/src/Factorizations/mplu!.jl
@@ -38,3 +38,19 @@ function mplu!(MPA::Union{MPArray,MPEArray})
     end
     return MPF
 end
+
+
+"""
+mplu(A::Array{Float64,2}; TL=Float32, onthefly=false)
+
+Combines the constructor of the multiprecision array with the
+factorization.
+"""
+function mplu(A::Array{TH,2}; TL=Float32, onthefly=nothing) where TH <: Real
+(TH == Float32) && (TL = Float16)
+((onthefly == nothing ) && (TL == Float16)) && (onthefly=true)
+((onthefly == nothing ) && (TL == Float32)) && (onthefly=false)
+MPA=MPArray(A; TL=TL, onthefly=onthefly)
+MPF=mplu!(MPA)
+return MPF
+end
diff --git a/src/MultiPrecisionArrays.jl b/src/MultiPrecisionArrays.jl
index 0576a0bc..2b8a0fd3 100644
--- a/src/MultiPrecisionArrays.jl
+++ b/src/MultiPrecisionArrays.jl
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ export hlu
 # them to nonlinear solvers and eigen solvers.
 #
 export mplu!
+export mplu
 export mphlu!
 export mpglu!
 export mpqr!
diff --git a/test/DetailsTest/.mplu_test.jl.swp b/test/DetailsTest/.mplu_test.jl.swp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef4d25fb
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/DetailsTest/.mplu_test.jl.swp differ
diff --git a/test/DetailsTest/mplu_test.jl b/test/DetailsTest/mplu_test.jl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..571e9ed7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/DetailsTest/mplu_test.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+"""
+mplu_test()
+
+Make sure that mplu and mplu! do what they are supposed to do
+"""
+function mplu_test()
+AD=rand(10,10); MPD=MPArray(AD); MPF1=mplu!(MPD); MPF2=mplu(AD);
+eq64=test_eq(MPF1,MPF2)
+ADx=rand(10,10); MPDx=MPArray(ADx; TL=Float16); 
+MPF1x=mplu!(MPDx); MPF2x=mplu(ADx; TL=Float16);
+eq64x=test_eq(MPF1x,MPF2x)
+AS=Float32.(AD); MPS=MPArray(AS); MSF1=mplu!(MPS); MSF2=mplu(AS)
+eq32=test_eq(MSF1,MSF2)
+mpluok = (eq64 && eq64x && eq32)
+mpluok || println("mplu failure")
+return mpluok
+end
+
+
+function test_eq(MF1,MF2)
+eqok=true
+for nf in fieldnames(MPLFact)
+gx=getfield(MF1,nf); hx =getfield(MF2,nf)
+eqok= ((gx==hx) && eqok)
+end
+return eqok
+end
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 40608321..0a62fd22 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ include("NLTest/nltest.jl")
 include("DetailsTest/precision_test.jl")
 include("DetailsTest/hlu_test.jl")
 include("DetailsTest/slashtest.jl")
+include("DetailsTest/mplu_test.jl")
 include("GM-IRTest/mpgmtest.jl")
 include("GM-IRTest/hvse.jl")
 
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ end
     @test precision_test()
     @test hlu_test()
     @test slashtest()
+    @test mplu_test()
 end
 
 @testset "GM-IR" begin