diff --git a/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
index cc7788104..8f440b833 100644
--- a/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -460,6 +460,11 @@ static void installShomateThermoFromXML(const std::string& speciesName, SpeciesT
         if (dualRange) {
             getFloatArray(f1ptr->child("floatArray"), c1, false);
         } else {
+            if(c0.size() != 7)
+            {
+              throw CanteraError("installShomateThermoFromXML",
+                                 "Shomate thermo requires 7 coefficients in float array.");
+            }
             c1.resize(7,0.0);
             copy(c0.begin(), c0.begin()+7, c1.begin());
         }
@@ -473,6 +478,11 @@ static void installShomateThermoFromXML(const std::string& speciesName, SpeciesT
         throw CanteraError("installShomateThermoFromXML",
                            "non-continuous temperature ranges.");
     }
+    if(c0.size() != 7 || c1.size() != 7)
+    {
+      throw CanteraError("installShomateThermoFromXML",
+                         "Shomate thermo requires 7 coefficients in float array.");
+    }
     vector_fp c(15);
     c[0] = tmid;
     copy(c0.begin(), c0.begin()+7, c.begin() + 1);
diff --git a/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_nohmix.xml b/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_nohmix.xml
index 8516b09cf..aadcf0ce8 100644
--- a/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_nohmix.xml
+++ b/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_nohmix.xml
@@ -30,7 +30,13 @@
       <thermo>     
         <Shomate Pref="1 bar" Tmax="800." Tmin="250.0">
           <floatArray size="1">
-            1.
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
           </floatArray>
         </Shomate>
       </thermo>
@@ -45,6 +51,12 @@
         <Shomate Pref="1 bar" Tmax="800." Tmin="250.0">
           <floatArray size="1">
             6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
           </floatArray>
         </Shomate>
       </thermo> 
diff --git a/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_valid.xml b/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_valid.xml
index 3848a51f6..7ba5ff539 100644
--- a/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_valid.xml
+++ b/test/data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_valid.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,13 @@
       <thermo>     
         <Shomate Pref="1 bar" Tmax="800." Tmin="250.0">
           <floatArray size="1">
-            1.
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
+            1.,
           </floatArray>
         </Shomate>
       </thermo>
@@ -46,6 +52,12 @@
         <Shomate Pref="1 bar" Tmax="800." Tmin="250.0">
           <floatArray size="1">
             6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
+            6.94544000E+01,
           </floatArray>
         </Shomate>
       </thermo> 
diff --git a/test/thermo/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_Test.cpp b/test/thermo/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_Test.cpp
index 206ab20c0..75f2cb620 100644
--- a/test/thermo/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_Test.cpp
+++ b/test/thermo/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_Test.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ TEST_F(MaskellSolidSolnPhase_Test, construct_from_xml)
     const std::string valid_file("../data/MaskellSolidSolnPhase_valid.xml");
     initializeTestPhaseWithXML(valid_file);
     MaskellSolidSolnPhase * maskell_phase = dynamic_cast<MaskellSolidSolnPhase *>(test_phase);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(maskell_phase != NULL);
 }
 
 TEST_F(MaskellSolidSolnPhase_Test, chem_potentials)