diff --git a/include/cantera/base/ctml.h b/include/cantera/base/ctml.h
index 043f945f6..1a5becdca 100644
--- a/include/cantera/base/ctml.h
+++ b/include/cantera/base/ctml.h
@@ -756,6 +756,7 @@ std::string getChildValue(const Cantera::XML_Node& parent,
  *  @param node    Root of the tree
  *  @param file    Name of the file
  *  @param debug   Turn on debugging printing
+ *  @deprecated    To be removed after Cantera 2.2. Use get_XML_File() instead.
  */
 void get_CTML_Tree(Cantera::XML_Node* node, const std::string& file,
                    const int debug = 0);
@@ -763,6 +764,7 @@ void get_CTML_Tree(Cantera::XML_Node* node, const std::string& file,
 //! Read an ctml file from a file and fill up an XML tree.
 //!   @param file    Name of the file
 //!   @return        Root of the tree
+//!   @deprecated    To be removed after Cantera 2.2. Use get_XML_File() instead.
 Cantera::XML_Node getCtmlTree(const std::string& file);
 
 //! Convert a cti file into a ctml file
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd b/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd
index 085728649..42c5990b1 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd
@@ -13,13 +13,11 @@ cdef extern from "cantera/base/xml.h" namespace "Cantera":
         XML_Node* findID(string)
         int nChildren()
 
-cdef extern from "cantera/base/ctml.h" namespace "ctml":
-    XML_Node getCtmlTree(string) except +
-
 cdef extern from "cantera/base/global.h" namespace "Cantera":
     cdef void CxxAddDirectory "Cantera::addDirectory" (string)
     cdef size_t CxxNpos "Cantera::npos"
     cdef void CxxAppdelete "Cantera::appdelete" ()
+    cdef XML_Node* CxxGetXmlFile "Cantera::get_XML_File" (string) except +
 
 cdef extern from "cantera/thermo/mix_defs.h":
     cdef int thermo_type_ideal_gas "Cantera::cIdealGas"
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx b/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx
index 0ff62fea1..608394fd7 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
             return
 
         # Instantiate a set of new Cantera C++ objects
-        rootNode = getCtmlTree(stringify(infile))
+        rootNode = CxxGetXmlFile(stringify(infile))
 
         # Get XML data
         cdef XML_Node* phaseNode
diff --git a/src/base/ct2ctml.cpp b/src/base/ct2ctml.cpp
index 55fe1c77f..02f69a224 100644
--- a/src/base/ct2ctml.cpp
+++ b/src/base/ct2ctml.cpp
@@ -262,46 +262,19 @@ void ck2cti(const std::string& in_file, const std::string& thermo_file,
 
 void get_CTML_Tree(Cantera::XML_Node* rootPtr, const std::string& file, const int debug)
 {
-    std::string ext = "";
-
-    // find the input file on the Cantera search path
-    std::string inname = findInputFile(file);
-    writelog("Found file: "+inname+"\n", debug);
-
-    if (inname == "") {
-        throw CanteraError("get_CTML_Tree", "file "+file+" not found");
-    }
-
-    /*
-     * Check whether or not the file is XML. If not, it will be first
-     * processed with the preprocessor.
-     */
-    std::string::size_type idot = inname.rfind('.');
-    if (idot != string::npos) {
-        ext = inname.substr(idot, inname.size());
-    }
-    if (ext != ".xml" && ext != ".ctml") {
-        string phase_xml = ctml::ct2ctml_string(inname);
-        stringstream s(phase_xml);
-        rootPtr->build(s);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    writelog("Attempting to parse xml file " + inname + "\n", debug);
-    ifstream fin(inname.c_str());
-    if (!fin) {
-        throw
-        CanteraError("get_CTML_Tree",
-                     "XML file " + inname + " not found");
-    }
-    rootPtr->build(fin);
-    fin.close();
+    warn_deprecated("get_CTML_Tree", "To be removed after Cantera 2.2. "
+            "Use get_XML_File instead.");
+    XML_Node* src = get_XML_File(file);
+    src->copy(rootPtr);
 }
 
 Cantera::XML_Node getCtmlTree(const std::string& file)
 {
-    Cantera::XML_Node root;
-    get_CTML_Tree(&root, file);
+    warn_deprecated("getCtmlTree", "To be removed after Cantera 2.2. "
+            "Use get_XML_File instead.");
+    XML_Node root;
+    XML_Node* src = get_XML_File(file);
+    src->copy(&root);
     return root;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/clib/ctxml.cpp b/src/clib/ctxml.cpp
index 6d18704f0..b10c4828f 100644
--- a/src/clib/ctxml.cpp
+++ b/src/clib/ctxml.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ extern "C" {
     int xml_preprocess_and_build(int i, const char* file, int debug)
     {
         try {
-            get_CTML_Tree(&XmlCabinet::item(i), file, debug);
+            XmlCabinet::item(i) = *get_XML_File(file);
             return 0;
         } catch (...) {
             return handleAllExceptions(-1, ERR);
diff --git a/test_problems/diamondSurf/runDiamond.cpp b/test_problems/diamondSurf/runDiamond.cpp
index cfe4b6cab..1019df89a 100644
--- a/test_problems/diamondSurf/runDiamond.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/diamondSurf/runDiamond.cpp
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     int i, k;
 
     try {
-        XML_Node* xc = new XML_Node();
-        string path = findInputFile(infile);
-        ctml::get_CTML_Tree(xc, path);
+        XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File(infile);
 
         XML_Node* const xg = xc->findNameID("phase", "gas");
         ThermoPhase* gasTP = newPhase(*xg);
diff --git a/test_problems/diamondSurf_dupl/runDiamondDupl.cpp b/test_problems/diamondSurf_dupl/runDiamondDupl.cpp
index 5c32fc3f2..5bb0c6309 100644
--- a/test_problems/diamondSurf_dupl/runDiamondDupl.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/diamondSurf_dupl/runDiamondDupl.cpp
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     string infile = "diamond.xml";
 
     try {
-        XML_Node* xc = new XML_Node();
-        string path = findInputFile(infile);
-        ctml::get_CTML_Tree(xc, path);
+        XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File(infile);
         cout.precision(3);
 
         XML_Node* const xg = xc->findNameID("phase", "gas");
diff --git a/test_problems/fracCoeff/fracCoeff.cpp b/test_problems/fracCoeff/fracCoeff.cpp
index 18e3af716..7edcf8c66 100644
--- a/test_problems/fracCoeff/fracCoeff.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/fracCoeff/fracCoeff.cpp
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     double cdot[10], ddot[10];
     //double fwd_rop[10];
     try {
-        XML_Node* xc = new XML_Node();
-        string path = findInputFile(infile);
-        ctml::get_CTML_Tree(xc, path);
+        XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File(infile);
 
         XML_Node* const xg = xc->findNameID("phase", "gas");
         ThermoPhase* gasTP = newPhase(*xg);
@@ -150,7 +148,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         delete iKin_ptr;
         iKin_ptr = 0;
         delete gasTP;
-        delete xc;
         appdelete();
 
 
diff --git a/test_problems/negATest/negATest.cpp b/test_problems/negATest/negATest.cpp
index 2f06696bd..b7708c96a 100644
--- a/test_problems/negATest/negATest.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/negATest/negATest.cpp
@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         double x[20];
         double cdot[20], ddot[20];
 
-        XML_Node* xc = new XML_Node();
-        string path = findInputFile(infile);
-        ctml::get_CTML_Tree(xc, path);
-
+        XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File(infile);
         XML_Node* const xg = xc->findNameID("phase", "air");
         ThermoPhase* gasTP = newPhase(*xg);
         size_t nsp = gasTP->nSpecies();
diff --git a/test_problems/stoichSolidKinetics/stoichSolidKinetics.cpp b/test_problems/stoichSolidKinetics/stoichSolidKinetics.cpp
index af077985a..3520b365e 100644
--- a/test_problems/stoichSolidKinetics/stoichSolidKinetics.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/stoichSolidKinetics/stoichSolidKinetics.cpp
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ void printRates(InterfaceKinetics& iKin)
 void testProblem()
 {
     ss << std::scientific << std::setprecision(3) << std::uppercase;
-    XML_Node xc;
-    ctml::get_CTML_Tree(&xc, "ReactionSurf.xml");
-    XML_Node* xg = xc.findNameID("phase", "reaction_surface");
+    XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File("ReactionSurf.xml");
+    XML_Node* xg = xc->findNameID("phase", "reaction_surface");
     if (!xg) {
         throw CanteraError("couldn't find file", "");
     }
diff --git a/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver.cpp b/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver.cpp
index df1ddc005..3c7865f6b 100644
--- a/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver.cpp
@@ -217,9 +217,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         }
 
         /************************************************************/
-        XML_Node* xc = new XML_Node();
-        string path = findInputFile(infile);
-        ctml::get_CTML_Tree(xc, path);
+        XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File(infile);
 
         XML_Node* const xg = (XML_Node*) findXMLPhase(xc, gasPhaseName);
         if (!xg) {
@@ -436,7 +434,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         bulkPhaseTP = 0;
         delete surfPhaseTP;
         surfPhaseTP = 0;
-        delete xc;
         appdelete();
     } catch (CanteraError& err) {
         std::cout << err.what() << std::endl;
diff --git a/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver2.cpp b/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver2.cpp
index e44e034d6..69aeee185 100644
--- a/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver2.cpp
+++ b/test_problems/surfSolverTest/surfaceSolver2.cpp
@@ -219,10 +219,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         }
 
         /************************************************************/
-        XML_Node* xc = new XML_Node();
-        string path = findInputFile(infile);
-        ctml::get_CTML_Tree(xc, path);
-
+        XML_Node* xc = get_XML_File(infile);
         XML_Node* const xg = (XML_Node*) findXMLPhase(xc, gasPhaseName);
         if (!xg) {
             printf("ERROR: Could not find gas phase named, %s, in file\n",
@@ -479,7 +476,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         surfPhaseTP = 0;
         delete surfPhaseTP2;
         surfPhaseTP2 = 0;
-        delete xc;
         appdelete();
     } catch (CanteraError& err) {
         std::cout << err.what() << std::endl;