diff --git a/src/base/checkFinite.cpp b/src/base/checkFinite.cpp
index 4437382a6..41384cae9 100644
--- a/src/base/checkFinite.cpp
+++ b/src/base/checkFinite.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
 
 void checkFinite(const double tmp)
 {
-#ifdef _WIN32
+#if defined _WIN32
     if (_finite(tmp)) {
         if (_isnan(tmp)) {
             printf("checkFinite() ERROR: we have encountered a nan!\n");
@@ -43,6 +43,17 @@ void checkFinite(const double tmp)
         }
         throw std::range_error("checkFinite()");
     }
+#elif defined __CYGWIN__
+    if (!finite(tmp)) {
+        if (isnan(tmp)) {
+            printf("checkFinite() ERROR: we have encountered a nan!\n");
+        } else if (isinf(tmp) == 1) {
+            printf("checkFinite() ERROR: we have encountered a pos inf!\n");
+        } else {
+            printf("checkFinite() ERROR: we have encountered a neg inf!\n");
+        }
+        throw std::range_error("checkFinite()");
+    }
 #else
     if (!::finite(tmp)) {
         if (::isnan(tmp)) {