diff --git a/GPy/core/svigp.py b/GPy/core/svigp.py
index 7d2bec36..8a2d889d 100644
--- a/GPy/core/svigp.py
+++ b/GPy/core/svigp.py
@@ -92,12 +92,56 @@ class SVIGP(GPBase):
         self._vb_steplength_trace = []
 
     def getstate(self):
-        return GPBase.getstate(self)
-
+        steplength_params = [self.hbar_t, self.tau_t, self.gbar_t, self.gbar_t1, self.gbar_t2, self.hbar_tp, self.tau_tp, self.gbar_tp, self.adapt_param_steplength, self.adapt_vb_steplength, self.vb_steplength, self.param_steplength]
+        return GPBase.getstate(self) + \
+            [self.get_vb_param(),
+             self.Z,
+             self.num_inducing,
+             self.has_uncertain_inputs,
+             self.X_variance,
+             self.X_batch,
+             self.X_variance_batch,
+             steplength_params,
+             self.batchcounter,
+             self.batchsize,
+             self.epochs,
+             self.momentum,
+             self.data_prop,
+             self._param_trace,
+             self._param_steplength_trace,
+             self._vb_steplength_trace,
+             self._ll_trace,
+             self._grad_trace,
+             self.Y,
+             self._permutation,
+             self.iterations
+            ]
 
     def setstate(self, state):
-        return GPBase.setstate(self, state)
-
+        self.iterations = state.pop()
+        self._permutation = state.pop()
+        self.Y = state.pop()
+        self._grad_trace = state.pop()
+        self._ll_trace = state.pop()
+        self._vb_steplength_trace = state.pop()
+        self._param_steplength_trace = state.pop()
+        self._param_trace = state.pop()
+        self.data_prop = state.pop()
+        self.momentum = state.pop()
+        self.epochs = state.pop()
+        self.batchsize = state.pop()
+        self.batchcounter = state.pop()
+        steplength_params = state.pop()
+        (self.hbar_t, self.tau_t, self.gbar_t, self.gbar_t1, self.gbar_t2, self.hbar_tp, self.tau_tp, self.gbar_tp, self.adapt_param_steplength, self.adapt_vb_steplength, self.vb_steplength, self.param_steplength) = steplength_params
+        self.X_variance_batch = state.pop()
+        self.X_batch = state.pop()
+        self.X_variance = state.pop()
+        self.has_uncertain_inputs = state.pop()
+        self.num_inducing = state.pop()
+        self.Z = state.pop()
+        vb_param = state.pop()
+        GPBase.setstate(self, state)
+        self.set_vb_param(vb_param)        
 
     def _compute_kernel_matrices(self):
         # kernel computations, using BGPLVM notation