diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.h b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.h
index a6891bdc8..9ebbb0c2f 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.h
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ protected:
     //@{
 
 public:
-    virtual void initThermo();
     virtual void initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id);
 
     //!  Create and install a constant volume pressure dependent
diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.h b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.h
index 572819115..6eed63d57 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.h
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ protected:
      */
     //@{
     virtual void initThermo();
-    virtual void initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id);
     //@}
 
 private:
diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.h b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.h
index 7959f57db..298afa7e9 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.h
@@ -53,16 +53,6 @@ protected:
     virtual void _updateStandardStateThermo();
 
 public:
-    /*! @name Initialization Methods - For Internal use
-     * The following methods are used in the process of constructing the phase
-     * and setting its parameters from a specification in an input file. They
-     * are not normally used in application programs. To see how they are
-     * used, see importPhase().
-     */
-    //@{
-    virtual void initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id);
-    //@}
-
     //! Create and install an ideal gas standard state manager for one species
     //! within this object
     /*!
diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.h b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.h
index 3aba0c3ca..cbcfcb3df 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.h
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ public:
      */
     //@{
 
-    virtual void initThermo();
     virtual void initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id);
     //@}
 
diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.h b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.h
index cb39a7056..5fa540ef9 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.h
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ public:
      * To see how they are used, see importPhase().
      */
     //@{
-    virtual void initThermo();
     virtual void initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id);
     virtual PDSS* createInstallPDSS(size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode,
                                     const XML_Node* const phaseNode_ptr);
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp
index 23d7635cd..8434c9d84 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp
@@ -89,11 +89,6 @@ void VPSSMgr_ConstVol::getStandardVolumes_ref(doublereal* vol) const
     }
 }
 
-void VPSSMgr_ConstVol::initThermo()
-{
-    VPSSMgr::initThermo();
-}
-
 void VPSSMgr_ConstVol::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id)
 {
     VPSSMgr::initThermoXML(phaseNode, id);
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.cpp
index 711814356..dd7fccc80 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_General.cpp
@@ -134,11 +134,6 @@ void VPSSMgr_General::getGibbs_ref(doublereal* g) const
     }
 }
 
-void VPSSMgr_General::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id)
-{
-    VPSSMgr::initThermoXML(phaseNode, id);
-}
-
 PDSS* VPSSMgr_General::returnPDSS_ptr(size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode,
         const XML_Node* const phaseNode_ptr, bool& doST)
 {
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
index 05bec774a..049b41867 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
@@ -79,11 +79,6 @@ void VPSSMgr_IdealGas::_updateStandardStateThermo()
     }
 }
 
-void VPSSMgr_IdealGas::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id)
-{
-    VPSSMgr::initThermoXML(phaseNode, id);
-}
-
 PDSS* VPSSMgr_IdealGas::createInstallPDSS(size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode,
                                           const XML_Node* const phaseNode_ptr)
 {
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.cpp
index 56d43f024..75900a4f4 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol.cpp
@@ -185,11 +185,6 @@ void VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol::_updateStandardStateThermo()
     m_Vss[0]    = (m_vptp_ptr->molecularWeight(0) / m_waterSS->density());
 }
 
-void VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol::initThermo()
-{
-    VPSSMgr::initThermo();
-}
-
 void VPSSMgr_Water_ConstVol::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode,
                                            const std::string& id)
 {
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.cpp
index 0c78e3f86..e37945103 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT.cpp
@@ -185,11 +185,6 @@ void VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT::_updateStandardStateThermo()
     }
 }
 
-void VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT::initThermo()
-{
-    VPSSMgr::initThermo();
-}
-
 void VPSSMgr_Water_HKFT::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode,
                                        const std::string& id)
 {