diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/GibbsExcessVPSSTP.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/GibbsExcessVPSSTP.cpp
index f8606c1d3..e5f9f5754 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/GibbsExcessVPSSTP.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/GibbsExcessVPSSTP.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
   GibbsExcessVPSSTP::GibbsExcessVPSSTP(const GibbsExcessVPSSTP &b) :
     VPStandardStateTP()
   {
-    *this = operator=(b);
+    GibbsExcessVPSSTP::operator=(b);
   }
 
   /*
@@ -56,10 +56,12 @@ namespace Cantera {
    */
   GibbsExcessVPSSTP& GibbsExcessVPSSTP::
   operator=(const GibbsExcessVPSSTP &b) {
-    if (&b != this) {
-      VPStandardStateTP::operator=(b);
+    if (&b == this) {
+      return *this;
     }
 
+    VPStandardStateTP::operator=(b);
+
     moleFractions_       = b.moleFractions_;
     lnActCoeff_Scaled_   = b.lnActCoeff_Scaled_;
     dlnActCoeffdT_Scaled_   = b.dlnActCoeffdT_Scaled_;
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.cpp
index 636940c6b..0dabe7ae4 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
     neutralMoleculePhase_(0),
     IOwnNThermoPhase_(true)
   {
-    *this = operator=(b);
+    IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP::operator=(b);
   }
 
   /*
@@ -152,14 +152,18 @@ namespace Cantera {
    */
   IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP& IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP::
   operator=(const IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP &b) {
-    if (&b != this) {
-      GibbsExcessVPSSTP::operator=(b);
-    }  
+    if (&b == this) {
+      return *this;
+    }
+    
+    GibbsExcessVPSSTP::operator=(b);  
 
     ionSolnType_                = b.ionSolnType_;
     numNeutralMoleculeSpecies_  = b.numNeutralMoleculeSpecies_;
     indexSpecialSpecies_        = b.indexSpecialSpecies_;
     indexSecondSpecialSpecies_  = b.indexSecondSpecialSpecies_;
+    fm_neutralMolec_ions_       = b.fm_neutralMolec_ions_;
+    fm_invert_ionForNeutral     = b.fm_invert_ionForNeutral;
     NeutralMolecMoleFractions_  = b.NeutralMolecMoleFractions_;
     cationList_                 = b.cationList_;
     numCationSpecies_           = b.numCationSpecies_;
@@ -167,21 +171,35 @@ namespace Cantera {
     numAnionSpecies_            = b.numAnionSpecies_;
     passThroughList_            = b.passThroughList_;
     numPassThroughSpecies_      = b.numPassThroughSpecies_;
-    /*
-     *  This is a shallow copy. We need to figure this out
-     */
-    neutralMoleculePhase_       = b.neutralMoleculePhase_;
-    if (neutralMoleculePhase_) {
-      exit(-1);
-    }
-    IOwnNThermoPhase_           = b.IOwnNThermoPhase_;
 
+    /*
+     *  If we own the underlying neutral molecule phase, then we do a deep
+     *  copy. If not, we do a shallow copy.
+     */   
+    if (IOwnNThermoPhase_) {
+      if (b.neutralMoleculePhase_) {
+        if (neutralMoleculePhase_) {
+	  delete neutralMoleculePhase_;
+	}
+	neutralMoleculePhase_   = (b.neutralMoleculePhase_)->duplMyselfAsThermoPhase();
+      } else {
+	neutralMoleculePhase_   = 0;
+      }
+    } else {
+      neutralMoleculePhase_     = b.neutralMoleculePhase_;
+    }
+  
+    IOwnNThermoPhase_           = b.IOwnNThermoPhase_;
     moleFractionsTmp_           = b.moleFractionsTmp_;
+    muNeutralMolecule_          = b.muNeutralMolecule_;
+    gammaNeutralMolecule_       = b.gammaNeutralMolecule_;
+    dlnActCoeffdT_NeutralMolecule_ = b.dlnActCoeffdT_NeutralMolecule_;
+    dlnActCoeffdlnC_NeutralMolecule_ = b.dlnActCoeffdlnC_NeutralMolecule_;
 
     return *this;
   }
 
-  /**
+  /*
    *
    * ~IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP():   (virtual)
    *
@@ -191,7 +209,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
   IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP::~IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP() {
     if (IOwnNThermoPhase_) {
       delete neutralMoleculePhase_;
-      neutralMoleculePhase_=0;
+      neutralMoleculePhase_ = 0;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.h b/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.h
index 965087d34..f9070fa0c 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.h
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP.h
@@ -152,9 +152,9 @@ namespace Cantera {
     /// Destructor. 
     virtual ~IonsFromNeutralVPSSTP();
 
-    //! Duplication routine for objects which inherit from  ThermoPhase.
+    //! Duplication routine for objects which inherit from ThermoPhase.
     /*!
-     *  This virtual routine can be used to duplicate thermophase objects
+     *  This virtual routine can be used to duplicate ThermoPhase objects
      *  inherited from ThermoPhase even if the application only has
      *  a pointer to ThermoPhase to work with.
      */
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
     //! Index of special species
     int indexSpecialSpecies_;
 
- //! Index of special species
+    //! Index of special species
     int indexSecondSpecialSpecies_;
     
     //! Formula Matrix for composition of neutral molecules
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
     int numCationSpecies_;
 
     //! List of the species in this ThermoPhase which are anion species
-    std::vector<int>anionList_;
+    std::vector<int> anionList_;
 
     //! Number of anion species
     int numAnionSpecies_;
@@ -785,9 +785,22 @@ namespace Cantera {
     int numPassThroughSpecies_;
 
   public:
+    //! This is a pointer to the neutral Molecule Phase
+    /*!
+     *  If the variable, IOwnNThermoPhase_ is true, then we own
+     *  the pointer. If not, then this is considered a shallow pointer.
+     */
     ThermoPhase *neutralMoleculePhase_;
-  protected:
+
+  private:
+
+    //! If true then we own the underlying neutral Molecule Phase
+    /*!
+     *  If this is false, then the neutral molecule phase is considered
+     *  as a shallow pointer.
+     */
     bool IOwnNThermoPhase_;
+
     //! ThermoPhase for the cation lattice
     /*!
      *  Currently this is unimplemented and may be deleted
@@ -808,9 +821,6 @@ namespace Cantera {
     mutable std::vector<doublereal> dlnActCoeffdT_NeutralMolecule_;
     mutable std::vector<doublereal> dlnActCoeffdlnC_NeutralMolecule_;
 
-  private:
-
-  
   };
 
 
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/MargulesVPSSTP.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/MargulesVPSSTP.cpp
index 21af0007d..2017d8357 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/MargulesVPSSTP.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/MargulesVPSSTP.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
   MargulesVPSSTP::MargulesVPSSTP(const MargulesVPSSTP &b) :
     GibbsExcessVPSSTP()
   {
-    *this = operator=(b);
+    MargulesVPSSTP::operator=(b);
   }
 
   /*
@@ -86,9 +86,11 @@ namespace Cantera {
    */
   MargulesVPSSTP& MargulesVPSSTP::
   operator=(const MargulesVPSSTP &b) {
-    if (&b != this) {
-      GibbsExcessVPSSTP::operator=(b);
+    if (&b == this) {
+      return *this;
     }
+   
+    GibbsExcessVPSSTP::operator=(b);
     
     numBinaryInteractions_      = b.numBinaryInteractions_ ;
     m_HE_b_ij                   = b.m_HE_b_ij;
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/VPStandardStateTP.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/VPStandardStateTP.cpp
index 0c4dd874e..bc4b85b4d 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/VPStandardStateTP.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/VPStandardStateTP.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
     m_P0(OneAtm),
     m_VPSS_ptr(0)
   {
-    *this = b;
+    VPStandardStateTP::operator=(b);
   }
 
   /*