diff --git a/include/cantera/kinetics/StoichManager.h b/include/cantera/kinetics/StoichManager.h
index c54753959..265044061 100644
--- a/include/cantera/kinetics/StoichManager.h
+++ b/include/cantera/kinetics/StoichManager.h
@@ -827,8 +827,9 @@ public:
         m_n[rxn] = k.size();
         bool frac = false;
         for (size_t n = 0; n < stoich.size(); n++) {
-            if (stoich[n] != 1.0) {
+            if (stoich[n] != 1.0 || order[n] != 1.0) {
                 frac = true;
+                break;
             }
         }
         if (frac) {
diff --git a/test/python/runTests.py b/test/python/runTests.py
index fb6bd01f5..3c4dd8b9c 100644
--- a/test/python/runTests.py
+++ b/test/python/runTests.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     loader = unittest.TestLoader()
     runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2)
     suite = loader.loadTestsFromName('testSolution')
+    suite = loader.loadTestsFromName('testKinetics')
     suite.addTests(loader.loadTestsFromName('testPureFluid'))
     suite.addTests(loader.loadTestsFromName('testEquilibrium'))
     suite.addTests(loader.loadTestsFromName('testReactors'))
diff --git a/test/python/testKinetics.py b/test/python/testKinetics.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..317a66b8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/python/testKinetics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import utilities
+import Cantera as ct
+
+class ExplicitForwardOrderTest(utilities.CanteraTest):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.gas = ct.IdealGasMix('../data/explicit-forward-order.xml')
+        self.gas.set(T=800, P=101325, X=[0.01, 0.90, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04])
+
+    def test_irreversibility(self):
+        # Reactions are irreversible
+        Rr = self.gas.revRateConstants()
+        self.assertEqual(Rr[0], 0.0)
+        self.assertEqual(Rr[1], 0.0)
+
+    def test_rateConstants(self):
+        # species order: [H, AR, R1A, R1B, P1]
+
+        C = self.gas.moleFractions() * self.gas.molarDensity()
+        Rf = self.gas.fwdRatesOfProgress()
+        kf = self.gas.fwdRateConstants()
+        self.assertNear(Rf[0], kf[0] * C[2]**1.5 * C[3]**0.5)
+        self.assertNear(Rf[1], kf[1] * C[0]**1.0 * C[4]**0.2)
+
+    def test_ratio1(self):
+        rop1 = self.gas.fwdRatesOfProgress()
+        # Double concentration of H and R1A
+        self.gas.set(T=800, P=101325, X=[0.02, 0.87, 0.04, 0.03, 0.04])
+        rop2 = self.gas.fwdRatesOfProgress()
+        ratio = rop2/rop1
+        self.assertNear(ratio[0], 2**1.5) # order of R1A is 1.5
+        self.assertNear(ratio[1], 2**1.0) # order of H is 1.0
+
+    def test_ratio2(self):
+        rop1 = self.gas.fwdRatesOfProgress()
+        # Double concentration of P1 and R1B
+        self.gas.set(T=800, P=101325, X=[0.01, 0.83, 0.02, 0.06, 0.08])
+        rop2 = self.gas.fwdRatesOfProgress()
+        ratio = rop2/rop1
+        self.assertNear(ratio[0], 2**0.5) # order of R1B is 0.5
+        self.assertNear(ratio[1], 2**0.2) # order of P1 is 1.0