diff --git a/dabench/dacycler/_var4d_backprop.py b/dabench/dacycler/_var4d_backprop.py
index e65c1b4..5561168 100644
--- a/dabench/dacycler/_var4d_backprop.py
+++ b/dabench/dacycler/_var4d_backprop.py
@@ -89,29 +89,24 @@ def _calc_default_R(self, obs_values, obs_error_sd):
     def _calc_default_B(self):
         return jnp.identity(self.system_dim)
 
-    def _make_loss(self, obs_vals, H, B, R, time_sel_matrix, n_steps):
+    def _make_loss(self, xb0, obs_vals, init_pred_obs, Ht, B, R, time_sel_matrix, M_obs, n_steps):
         """Define loss function based on 4dvar cost"""
         Rinv = jscipy.linalg.inv(R)
         Binv = jscipy.linalg.inv(B)
 
         @jax.jit
         def loss_4dvarcost(x0):
-            pred_x = self.step_forecast(
-                    vector.StateVector(values=x0, store_as_jax=True),
-                    n_steps=n_steps).values
-
-            # Make prediction based on current r
-            xb0 = pred_x[0]
+            # Get initial departure
+            db0 = (x0.ravel() - xb0.ravel())
 
-            # Apply observation operator to map to obs spcae
-            pred_obs = time_sel_matrix @ pred_x @ H
+            # Get approximate new observations
+            pred_obs = M_obs @ db0 + init_pred_obs
 
             # Calculate observation term of J_0
             resid = (pred_obs.ravel() - obs_vals.ravel())
             obs_term = 0.5*np.sum(resid.T @ Rinv @ resid)
 
             # Calculate initial departure term of J_0 based on original x0
-            db0 = (x0.ravel() - xb0.ravel())
             initial_term = 0.5*(db0.T @ Binv @ db0)
 
             # Cost is the sum of the two terms
@@ -125,19 +120,26 @@ def _calc_time_sel_matrix(self, obs_steps_inds, n_pred_steps):
                 jnp.arange(time_sel_matrix.shape[0]), obs_steps_inds].set(1)
         return time_sel_matrix
 
-    def _make_backprop_epoch(self, optimizer):
+    def _make_backprop_epoch(self, loss_func, optimizer):
 
-        @jax.jit
+        @ jax.jit
         def _backprop_epoch(x0_opt_state_tuple, i):
-            x0, dx0, i, opt_state = x0_opt_state_tuple
+            x0, i, opt_state = x0_opt_state_tuple
+            loss_val, dx0 = value_and_grad(loss_func, argnums=0)(x0)
             updates, opt_state = optimizer.update(dx0, opt_state)
             x0_new = optax.apply_updates(x0, updates)
 
-            return (x0_new, dx0, i+1, opt_state), x0_new
+            return (x0_new, i+1, opt_state), loss_val
 
         return _backprop_epoch
 
-    def _cycle_obsop(self, xb, obs_values, obs_loc_indices, obs_error_sd,
+    def _gen_forecast_obs(self, x0, Ht, time_sel_matrix):
+        pred_x = self.step_forecast(
+                vector.StateVector(values=x0, store_as_jax=True), 11).values
+        pred_obs = time_sel_matrix @ pred_x @ Ht
+        return pred_obs, pred_obs
+
+    def _cycle_obsop(self, x0, obs_values, obs_loc_indices, obs_error_sd,
                      H=None, h=None, R=None, B=None, time_sel_matrix=None,
                      n_steps=1):
         if H is None and h is None:
@@ -148,19 +150,27 @@ def _cycle_obsop(self, xb, obs_values, obs_loc_indices, obs_error_sd,
                     h = self.h
             else:
                 H = self.H
+        Ht = H.T
+
         if R is None:
             if self.R is None:
                 R = self._calc_default_R(obs_values, obs_error_sd)
             else:
                 R = self.R
+
         if B is None:
             if self.B is None:
                 B = self._calc_default_B()
             else:
                 B = self.B
 
-        x0 = xb
-        loss_func = self._make_loss(obs_values, H, B, R, time_sel_matrix,
+        # Get initial observations and jacobian
+        M_obs, pred_obs = jax.jacrev(
+                self._gen_forecast_obs, has_aux=True, argnums=0)(
+                        x0, Ht, time_sel_matrix)
+
+        loss_func = self._make_loss(x0, obs_values, pred_obs, Ht, B, R,
+                                    time_sel_matrix, M_obs,
                                     n_steps=n_steps)
 
         lr = optax.exponential_decay(
@@ -170,21 +180,18 @@ def _cycle_obsop(self, xb, obs_values, obs_loc_indices, obs_error_sd,
         opt_state = optimizer.init(x0)
 
         # Make initial forecast and calculate loss
-        loss_val, dx0 = value_and_grad(loss_func, argnums=0)(x0)
-        backprop_epoch_func = self._make_backprop_epoch(optimizer)
-        x0_opt_state_tuple, x0_vals = jax.lax.scan(
-                backprop_epoch_func, init=(x0, dx0, 0, opt_state),
+        backprop_epoch_func = self._make_backprop_epoch(loss_func, optimizer)
+        x0_opt_state_tuple, loss_vals = jax.lax.scan(
+                backprop_epoch_func, init=(x0, 0, opt_state),
                 xs=None, length=self.num_epochs)
 
-        x0, dx0, i, opt_state = x0_opt_state_tuple
+        x0, i, opt_state = x0_opt_state_tuple
 
-        # Analysis
-        loss_val_end, dx0 = value_and_grad(loss_func, argnums=0)(x0)
         xa = self.step_forecast(
                 vector.StateVector(values=x0, store_as_jax=True),
                 n_steps=n_steps)
 
-        return xa, jnp.array([loss_val, loss_val_end])
+        return xa, loss_vals
 
     def step_cycle(self, xb, yo, H=None, h=None, R=None, B=None, n_steps=1,
                    obs_window_indices=[0]):