diff --git a/lib/function/construction/matrix.js b/lib/function/construction/matrix.js
index 52000e0a2..a8f4a4360 100644
--- a/lib/function/construction/matrix.js
+++ b/lib/function/construction/matrix.js
@@ -2,37 +2,30 @@
 
 var string = require('../../util/string'),
 
+    isArray = Array.isArray,
     isString = string.isString;
 
 module.exports = function (math) {
 
   var Matrix = math.type.Matrix;
 
-  var _createStorage = function (data, format) {
+  var _createMatrix = function (data, format) {
     // check data is an array
-    if (isArray(data)) {
-      // format to use
-      format = format || 'default';
-      // check format
-      if (!isString(format))
-        throw new TypeError('format must be a string value');
-      // get format constructor
-      var f = Matrix.format[format];
-      if (!f)
-        throw new SyntaxError('Unsupported Matrix Storage Format: ' + format);
-      // create instance
-      return new f(data);
+    if (!isArray(data) && !(data instanceof Matrix)) {
+      // throw
+      throw new TypeError('data must be an array value or Matrix instance');
     }
-    // check it is a storage json representation
-    if (typeof data === 'object' && isString(data.format)) {
-      // get format constructor
-      var f = Matrix.format[data.format];
-      if (!f)
-        throw new SyntaxError('Unsupported Matrix Storage Format: ' + data.format);
-      // deserialize json
-      return f.fromJSON(data);
-    }
-    throw new SyntaxError('Unsupported data structure');
+    // check format is a string
+    if (!isString(format)) {
+      // throw
+      throw new TypeError('format must be a string value');
+    }  
+    // get format constructor
+    var F = Matrix.format[format];
+    if (!F)
+      throw new SyntaxError('Unsupported Matrix Storage Format: ' + format);
+    // create instance
+    return new F(data);
   };
   
   /**
@@ -64,19 +57,32 @@ module.exports = function (math) {
    * @return {Matrix} The created matrix
    */
   math.matrix = function matrix(data, format) {
-    if (arguments.length > 2) {
-      throw new math.error.ArgumentsError('matrix', arguments.length, 0, 2);
+    // check arguments
+    switch (arguments.length) {
+      case 0:
+        // set data and format
+        data = [];
+        format = 'default';
+        break;
+      case 1:
+        // check data was provided
+        if (isArray(data) || data instanceof Matrix) {
+          // use default format
+          format = 'default';          
+        }
+        else if (isString(data)) {
+          // set format
+          format = data;
+          // empty array
+          data = [];
+        }
+        break;
+      case 2:
+        break;
+      default:
+        throw new math.error.ArgumentsError('matrix', arguments.length, 0, 2);  
     }
-    // format to use
-    format = format || 'default';
-    // check format
-    if (!isString(format))
-      throw new TypeError('format must be a string value');
-    // get format constructor
-    var f = Matrix.format[format];
-    if (!f)
-      throw new SyntaxError('Unsupported Matrix Storage Format: ' + format);
-    // create instance
-    return new f(data);
+    // create matrix
+    return _createMatrix(data, format);    
   };
 };
diff --git a/lib/function/matrix/ones.js b/lib/function/matrix/ones.js
index c88b2e432..5aefe32f2 100644
--- a/lib/function/matrix/ones.js
+++ b/lib/function/matrix/ones.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ module.exports = function (math, config) {
     var asMatrix = (size instanceof Matrix) ? true :
         (isArray(size) ? false : (config.matrix === 'matrix'));
 
-    if (args.length == 0) {
+    if (args.length === 0) {
       // output an empty matrix
       return asMatrix ? math.matrix() : [];
     }
diff --git a/lib/function/matrix/zeros.js b/lib/function/matrix/zeros.js
index d7c03410c..b1776fa14 100644
--- a/lib/function/matrix/zeros.js
+++ b/lib/function/matrix/zeros.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ module.exports = function (math, config) {
       collection = math.collection,
 
       array = util.array,
+      string = util.string,
       isArray = Array.isArray;
 
   /**
@@ -34,37 +35,42 @@ module.exports = function (math, config) {
    *    ones, eye, size, range
    *
    * @param {...Number | Array} size    The size of each dimension of the matrix
+   * @param {string} [format]           The Matrix storage format
    * @return {Array | Matrix | Number}  A matrix filled with zeros
    */
   math.zeros = function zeros (size) {
+    // args
     var args = collection.argsToArray(arguments);
-    var asMatrix = (size instanceof Matrix) ? true :
-        (isArray(size) ? false : (config.matrix === 'matrix'));
-
-    if (args.length == 0) {
+    // check format was provided
+    var f = args.length > 0 && string.isString(args[args.length - 1]) ? args[args.length - 1] : undefined;
+    if (f) {
+      // remove last arg
+      args.splice(args.length - 1, 1);
+    }
+    
+    // check result type
+    var asMatrix = f || (size instanceof Matrix) ? true : (isArray(size) ? false : (config.matrix === 'matrix'));
+    
+    if (args.length === 0) {
       // output an empty matrix
-      return asMatrix ? math.matrix() : [];
+      return asMatrix ? (f ? math.matrix(f) : math.matrix()) : [];
     }
-    else {
-      // output an array or matrix
+    // convert arguments from bignumber to numbers if needed
+    var asBigNumber = false;
+    args = args.map(function (value) {
+      if (value instanceof BigNumber) {
+        asBigNumber = true;
+        return value.toNumber();
+      } else {
+        return value;
+      }
+    });
 
-      // convert arguments from bignumber to numbers if needed
-      var asBigNumber = false;
-      args = args.map(function (value) {
-        if (value instanceof BigNumber) {
-          asBigNumber = true;
-          return value.toNumber();
-        } else {
-          return value;
-        }
-      });
+    // resize the matrix
+    var res = [];
+    var defaultValue = asBigNumber ? new BigNumber(0) : 0;
+    res = array.resize(res, args, defaultValue);
 
-      // resize the matrix
-      var res = [];
-      var defaultValue = asBigNumber ? new BigNumber(0) : 0;
-      res = array.resize(res, args, defaultValue);
-
-      return asMatrix ? math.matrix(res) : res;
-    }
+    return asMatrix ? (f ? math.matrix(res, f) : math.matrix(res)) : res;
   };
 };
diff --git a/lib/type/collection.js b/lib/type/collection.js
index 3ac572f7e..047f49549 100644
--- a/lib/type/collection.js
+++ b/lib/type/collection.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ module.exports = function (math) {
    * @returns {Array} array
    */
   collection.argsToArray = function(args) {
-    if (args.length == 0) {
+    if (args.length === 0) {
       // fn()
       return [];
     }
diff --git a/lib/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.js b/lib/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.js
index 8e4cd9a0f..bf3f5a39f 100644
--- a/lib/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.js
+++ b/lib/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module.exports = function (math) {
         _createFromArray(this, data.toArray());
       }
     }
-    else if (data && isArray(data.values) && isArray(data.index) && isArray(data.ptr)) {
+    else if (data && isArray(data.values) && isArray(data.index) && isArray(data.ptr) && isArray(data.size)) {
       // initialize fields
       this._values = data.values;
       this._index = data.index;
@@ -806,6 +806,27 @@ module.exports = function (math) {
     return new CcsMatrix(json);
   };
 
+  /**
+   * Generate a matrix with zero values
+   * @param {Integer} rows      The number of rows
+   * @param {Integer} columns   The number of columns
+   *
+   * @returns {CcsMatrix}
+   */
+  CcsMatrix.zeros = function (rows, columns) {
+    // create ptr
+    var ptr = [];
+    for (var j = 0; j <= columns; j++)
+      ptr[j] = 0;
+    // create matrix
+    return new CcsMatrix({
+      values: [],
+      index: [],
+      ptr: ptr,
+      size: [rows, columns]
+    });
+  };
+  
   CcsMatrix.diagonal = function (rows, columns, value) {
     // create arrays
     var values = [];
diff --git a/test/function/construction/matrix.test.js b/test/function/construction/matrix.test.js
index 4d44730ec..ddf3f36dd 100644
--- a/test/function/construction/matrix.test.js
+++ b/test/function/construction/matrix.test.js
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ describe('matrix', function() {
     assert.deepEqual(c, matrix([[1,2],[3,4]], 'dense'));
     assert.deepEqual(math.size(c), matrix([2,2], 'dense'));
   });
+  
+  it('should be the identity if called with a matrix, CCS format', function() {
+    var b = matrix([[1,2],[3,4]], 'ccs');
+    var c = matrix(b, 'ccs');
+    assert.ok(c._values != b._values); // data should be cloned
+    assert.deepEqual(c, matrix([[1,2],[3,4]], 'ccs'));
+  });
 
   it('should create a matrix from a range correctly', function() {
     var d = matrix(math.range(1,6));
@@ -35,15 +42,15 @@ describe('matrix', function() {
   });
 
   it('should throw an error if called with a single number', function() {
-    assert.throws(function () {matrix(123)}, TypeError);
+    assert.throws(function () { matrix(123); }, TypeError);
   });
 
   it('should throw an error if called with a unit', function() {
-    assert.throws(function () {matrix(math.unit('5cm'))}, TypeError);
+    assert.throws(function () { matrix(math.unit('5cm')); }, TypeError);
   });
 
   it('should throw an error if called with 3 numbers', function() {
-    assert.throws(function () {matrix(2, 3, 4)}, error.ArgumentsError);
+    assert.throws(function () { matrix(2, 3, 4); }, error.ArgumentsError);
   });
 
   it('should throw an error when called with an invalid storage format', function () {
diff --git a/test/function/matrix/zeros.test.js b/test/function/matrix/zeros.test.js
index 3c9433b22..42b6d0e4d 100644
--- a/test/function/matrix/zeros.test.js
+++ b/test/function/matrix/zeros.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // test zeros
 var assert = require('assert'),
-    error = require('../../../lib/error/index'),
     math = require('../../../index'),
     zeros = math.zeros,
     matrix = math.matrix;
@@ -12,7 +11,21 @@ describe('zeros', function() {
     assert.deepEqual(zeros([]), []);
     assert.deepEqual(zeros(matrix([])), matrix());
   });
-
+  
+  /*
+  it('should create an empty matrix, CCS format', function () {
+    assert.deepEqual(zeros('ccs'), matrix('ccs'));
+    assert.deepEqual(zeros([], 'ccs'), matrix([], 'ccs'));
+    assert.deepEqual(zeros(matrix([]), 'ccs'), matrix('ccs'));
+  });
+  
+  it('should create an empty matrix, CRS format', function () {
+    assert.deepEqual(zeros('crs'), matrix('crs'));
+    assert.deepEqual(zeros([], 'crs'), matrix([], 'crs'));
+    assert.deepEqual(zeros(matrix([]), 'crs'), matrix('crs'));
+  });
+*/
+  
   it('should create a vector with zeros', function () {
     assert.deepEqual(zeros(3), matrix([0,0,0]));
     assert.deepEqual(zeros(matrix([4])), matrix([0,0,0,0]));
diff --git a/test/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.test.js b/test/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.test.js
index ea1867809..ec4a8a434 100644
--- a/test/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.test.js
+++ b/test/type/matrix/CcsMatrix.test.js
@@ -1244,4 +1244,30 @@ describe('CcsMatrix', function() {
       assert.throws(function () { m.transpose(); });
     });
   });
+  
+  describe('zeros', function () {
+
+    it('should generate a matrix with zeros', function() {
+      var m = CcsMatrix.zeros(2, 2);
+      assert.deepEqual(
+        m.toArray(), 
+        [
+          [0, 0],
+          [0, 0]
+        ]);
+    });
+
+    it('should generate a big matrix with zeros', function() {
+      var m = CcsMatrix.zeros(1000, 1000);
+      assert.deepEqual(m._values, []);
+      assert.deepEqual(m._index, []);
+      assert.equal(m._ptr.length, 1001);
+      assert.deepEqual(m._size, [1000, 1000]);
+    });
+    
+    it('should throw an error for invalid matrix transpose', function() {
+      var m = new CcsMatrix([[]]);
+      assert.throws(function () { m.transpose(); });
+    });
+  });
 });
\ No newline at end of file