diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.h b/include/cantera/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.h
index cbe496359..359bf6417 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.h
@@ -211,9 +211,6 @@ public:
      */
     MetalSHEelectrons& operator=(const MetalSHEelectrons& right);
 
-    //! Destructor for the routine
-    virtual ~MetalSHEelectrons();
-
     //! Duplication function
     /*!
      * This virtual function is used to create a duplicate of the
@@ -457,9 +454,6 @@ public:
      * @endcode
      */
     virtual void setParametersFromXML(const XML_Node& eosdata);
-
-protected:
-    XML_Node* xdef_;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.cpp b/src/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.cpp
index 09b629fe3..6167a6674 100644
--- a/src/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/MetalSHEelectrons.cpp
@@ -24,46 +24,31 @@ namespace Cantera
  * ----  Constructors -------
  */
 
-MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons():
-    xdef_(0)
+MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons()
 {
 }
 
-MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons(const std::string& infile, const std::string& id_) :
-    xdef_(0)
+MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons(const std::string& infile, const std::string& id_)
 {
     initThermoFile(infile, id_);
 }
 
-MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons(XML_Node& xmlphase, const std::string& id_) :
-    xdef_(0)
+MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons(XML_Node& xmlphase, const std::string& id_)
 {
     importPhase(xmlphase, this);
 }
 
-MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons(const MetalSHEelectrons& right) :
-    xdef_(0)
+MetalSHEelectrons::MetalSHEelectrons(const MetalSHEelectrons& right)
 {
     operator=(right);
 }
 
-MetalSHEelectrons::~MetalSHEelectrons()
-{
-    delete xdef_;
-}
-
 MetalSHEelectrons& MetalSHEelectrons::operator=(const MetalSHEelectrons& right)
 {
     if (&right != this) {
         SingleSpeciesTP::operator=(right);
     }
 
-    delete xdef_;
-    if(right.xdef_)
-    {
-      xdef_ = new XML_Node(*right.xdef_);
-    }
-
     return *this;
 }