diff --git a/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseCSC.java b/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseCSC.java
index 034d1d28d..8eb38b12f 100644
--- a/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseCSC.java
+++ b/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseCSC.java
@@ -231,7 +231,9 @@ public void set( int row, int col, double val ) {
         if (row < 0 || row >= numRows || col < 0 || col >= numCols)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Outside of matrix bounds");
 
-        unsafe_set(row, col, val);
+        if (val != 0.0) {
+            unsafe_set(row, col, val);
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseTriplet.java b/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseTriplet.java
index 67cd73042..5e4e69b3d 100644
--- a/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseTriplet.java
+++ b/main/ejml-core/src/org/ejml/data/DMatrixSparseTriplet.java
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ public void set( int row, int col, double value ) {
         if (row < 0 || row >= numRows || col < 0 || col >= numCols)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Outside of matrix bounds");
 
-        unsafe_set(row, col, value);
+        if (value != 0.0) {
+            unsafe_set(row, col, value);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@ public void unsafe_set( int row, int col, double value ) {
         int index = nz_index(row, col);
         if (index < 0)
             addItem(row, col, value);
-        else {
+        else if (value != 0.0) {
             nz_value.data[index] = value;
         }
     }