diff --git a/Cantera/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp b/Cantera/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp
index 8ec384626..32c2416c6 100755
--- a/Cantera/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
    *   ThermoPhase object. The properties must be already contained
    *   within the current thermodynamic state of the system.
    */
-  int ChemEquil::equilibrate(thermo_t& s, const char* XY, 
+  int ChemEquil::equilibrate(thermo_t& s, const char* XY,
 			     bool useThermoPhaseElementPotentials, int loglevel) {
     vector_fp elMolesGoal(s.nElements());
     initialize(s);
diff --git a/Cantera/src/equil/equilibrate.cpp b/Cantera/src/equil/equilibrate.cpp
index f91dedf88..d3ae15d9b 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/equil/equilibrate.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/equil/equilibrate.cpp
@@ -198,7 +198,9 @@ namespace Cantera {
 	  e->options.maxIterations = maxsteps;
 	  e->options.relTolerance = rtol;
 	  nAttempts++;
-	  retnSub = e->equilibrate(s,XY,loglevel-1);
+          bool useThermoPhaseElementPotentials = true;
+	  retnSub = e->equilibrate(s,XY,
+                                   useThermoPhaseElementPotentials, loglevel-1);
 	  if (retnSub < 0) {
 	    if (loglevel > 0) 
 	      addLogEntry("ChemEquil solver failed.");
diff --git a/Cantera/src/equil/vcs_equilibrate.cpp b/Cantera/src/equil/vcs_equilibrate.cpp
index f0c7072fe..a72178f81 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/equil/vcs_equilibrate.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/equil/vcs_equilibrate.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,12 @@ namespace Cantera {
       try {
 	e->options.maxIterations = maxsteps;
 	e->options.relTolerance = rtol;
-	retnSub = e->equilibrate(s,XY,loglevel-1);
+        bool useThermoPhaseElementPotentials = false;
+        if (estimateEquil == 0) {
+          useThermoPhaseElementPotentials = true;
+        }
+	retnSub = e->equilibrate(s, XY, 
+                                 useThermoPhaseElementPotentials, loglevel-1);
 	if (retnSub < 0) {
 	  if (loglevel > 0) {
 	    addLogEntry("ChemEquil solver failed.");