diff --git a/include/albatross/CovarianceFunctions b/include/albatross/CovarianceFunctions
index 7e6d73be..9de92674 100644
--- a/include/albatross/CovarianceFunctions
+++ b/include/albatross/CovarianceFunctions
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 
 #include "Indexing"
 
+#include <boost/math/special_functions/bessel.hpp> 
+
 #include <albatross/src/core/declarations.hpp>
 #include <albatross/src/core/traits.hpp>
 #include <albatross/src/core/priors.hpp>
diff --git a/include/albatross/src/covariance_functions/radial.hpp b/include/albatross/src/covariance_functions/radial.hpp
index 3a8ae9bc..27a4de9c 100644
--- a/include/albatross/src/covariance_functions/radial.hpp
+++ b/include/albatross/src/covariance_functions/radial.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 constexpr double default_length_scale = 100000.;
 constexpr double default_radial_sigma = 10.;
+constexpr double default_nu_matern = 2.5;
 
 namespace albatross {
 
@@ -232,5 +233,54 @@ class Matern52 : public CovarianceFunction<Matern52<DistanceMetricType>> {
   DistanceMetricType distance_metric_;
 };
 
+inline double matern_covariance(double distance, double length_scale, double nu,
+                                double sigma = 1.) {
+  if (length_scale <= 0.) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (distance == 0.) {
+    return sigma * sigma;
+  }
+  assert(nu >= 0);
+  const double m = 2 * std::sqrt(nu) * distance / length_scale;
+  return sigma * sigma * std::pow(2, 1 - nu) / std::tgamma(nu) *
+         std::pow(m, nu) * boost::math::cyl_bessel_k<double>(nu, m);
+}
+
+template <class DistanceMetricType>
+class Matern : public CovarianceFunction<Matern<DistanceMetricType>> {
+ public:
+  // The Matern nu = 5/2 radial function is not positive definite
+  // when the distance is an angular (or great circle) distance.
+  static_assert(!std::is_base_of<AngularDistance, DistanceMetricType>::value,
+                "Matern covariance with AngularDistance is not PSD.");
+
+  ALBATROSS_DECLARE_PARAMS(matern_length_scale, sigma_matern, nu_matern);
+
+  Matern(double length_scale_ = default_length_scale,
+         double sigma_matern_ = default_radial_sigma,
+         double nu_matern_ = default_nu_matern)
+      : distance_metric_() {
+    matern_length_scale = {length_scale_, PositivePrior()};
+    sigma_matern = {sigma_matern_, NonNegativePrior()};
+    nu_matern = {nu_matern_, PositivePrior()};
+  };
+
+  std::string name() const {
+    return "matern[" + this->distance_metric_.get_name() + "]";
+  }
+
+  template <typename X,
+            typename std::enable_if<
+                has_call_operator<DistanceMetricType, X &, X &>::value,
+                int>::type = 0>
+  double _call_impl(const X &x, const X &y) const {
+    double distance = this->distance_metric_(x, y);
+    return matern_covariance(distance, matern_length_scale.value,
+                             sigma_matern.value);
+  }
+
+  DistanceMetricType distance_metric_;
+};
 } // namespace albatross
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/test_radial.cc b/tests/test_radial.cc
index 5010c49c..902f9799 100644
--- a/tests/test_radial.cc
+++ b/tests/test_radial.cc
@@ -386,4 +386,31 @@ TEST(test_radial, test_matern_32_oracle) {
   }
 }
 
+TEST(test_radial, test_matern_peak) {
+  constexpr std::size_t test_iters = 1000;
+  std::mt19937 gen{22};
+  std::normal_distribution<> d{0., 10.};
+  for (std::size_t iter = 0; iter < test_iters; ++iter) {
+    const double x = d(gen);
+    const double length = 1e-6 + fabs(d(gen));
+    const double nu = 1e-6 + fabs(d(gen));
+    const Matern<EuclideanDistance> cov(length, 1., nu);
+    EXPECT_EQ(cov(x, x), 1.0);
+  }
+}
+
+TEST(test_radial, test_matern_off_peak) {
+  constexpr std::size_t test_iters = 10000000;
+  std::mt19937 gen{22};
+  std::normal_distribution<> d{0., 10.};
+  for (std::size_t iter = 0; iter < test_iters; ++iter) {
+    const double x = d(gen);
+    const double delta = 1e-6 + d(gen);
+    const double length = 1e-6 + fabs(d(gen));
+    const double nu = 1e-6 + fabs(d(gen));
+    const Matern<EuclideanDistance> cov(length, 1., nu);
+    EXPECT_LT(cov(x, x + delta), 1.0);
+  }
+}
+
 } // namespace albatross