diff --git a/lib/sequentia/classifiers/hmm/hmm.py b/lib/sequentia/classifiers/hmm/hmm.py
index 2bdb6e09..81825280 100644
--- a/lib/sequentia/classifiers/hmm/hmm.py
+++ b/lib/sequentia/classifiers/hmm/hmm.py
@@ -46,11 +46,9 @@ def __init__(self, label, n_states, topology='left-right', random_state=None):
             n_states, lambda x: x > 0, desc='number of states', expected='greater than zero')
         self._val.one_of(topology, ['ergodic', 'left-right', 'strict-left-right'], desc='topology')
         self._random_state = self._val.random_state(random_state)
-        self._topology = {
-            'ergodic': _ErgodicTopology,
-            'left-right': _LeftRightTopology,
-            'strict-left-right': _StrictLeftRightTopology
-        }[topology](self._n_states, self._random_state)
+        self._topologies = {'ergodic': _ErgodicTopology, 'left-right': _LeftRightTopology, 'strict-left-right': _StrictLeftRightTopology}
+        self._topologies.update(dict([reversed(i) for i in self._topologies.items()]))
+        self._topology = self._topologies[topology](self._n_states, self._random_state)
 
     def set_uniform_initial(self):
         """Sets a uniform initial state distribution."""
@@ -198,7 +196,7 @@ def as_dict(self):
             return {
                 'label': self._label,
                 'n_states': self._n_states,
-                'topology': 'ergodic' if isinstance(self._topology, _ErgodicTopology) else 'left-right',
+                'topology': self._topologies[self._topology.__class__],
                 'model': {
                     'initial': self._initial.tolist(),
                     'transitions': self._transitions.tolist(),