diff --git a/include/cantera/kinetics/Kinetics.h b/include/cantera/kinetics/Kinetics.h
index 93ba859a4..fde553b45 100644
--- a/include/cantera/kinetics/Kinetics.h
+++ b/include/cantera/kinetics/Kinetics.h
@@ -681,18 +681,18 @@ public:
      *
      * @param i   reaction index
      */
-    const std::string& reactionString(size_t i) const {
-        return m_rxneqn[i];
+    std::string reactionString(size_t i) const {
+        return m_reactions[i]->equation();
     }
 
     //! Returns a string containing the reactants side of the reaction equation.
-    const std::string& reactantString(size_t i) const {
-        return m_reactantStrings[i];
+    std::string reactantString(size_t i) const {
+        return m_reactions[i]->reactantString();
     }
 
     //! Returns a string containing the products side of the reaction equation.
-    const std::string& productString(size_t i) const {
-        return m_productStrings[i];
+    std::string productString(size_t i) const {
+        return m_reactions[i]->productString();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -984,15 +984,6 @@ protected:
     //! number of spatial dimensions of lowest-dimensional phase.
     size_t m_mindim;
 
-    //! Representation of each reaction equation
-    std::vector<std::string> m_rxneqn;
-
-    //! Representation of the reactant side of each reaction equation
-    std::vector<std::string> m_reactantStrings;
-
-    //! Representation of the product side of each reaction equation
-    std::vector<std::string> m_productStrings;
-
     //! Forward rate constant for each reaction
     vector_fp m_rfn;
 
diff --git a/src/kinetics/Kinetics.cpp b/src/kinetics/Kinetics.cpp
index adc00d2a7..2e11725a0 100644
--- a/src/kinetics/Kinetics.cpp
+++ b/src/kinetics/Kinetics.cpp
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ Kinetics& Kinetics::operator=(const Kinetics& right)
     m_surfphase         = right.m_surfphase;
     m_rxnphase          = right.m_rxnphase;
     m_mindim            = right.m_mindim;
-    m_rxneqn            = right.m_rxneqn;
-    m_reactantStrings   = right.m_reactantStrings;
-    m_productStrings    = right.m_productStrings;
     m_rgroups = right.m_rgroups;
     m_pgroups = right.m_pgroups;
     m_rfn = right.m_rfn;
@@ -648,9 +645,6 @@ bool Kinetics::addReaction(shared_ptr<Reaction> r)
     }
 
     m_reactions.push_back(r);
-    m_rxneqn.push_back(r->equation());
-    m_reactantStrings.push_back(r->reactantString());
-    m_productStrings.push_back(r->productString());
     m_rfn.push_back(0.0);
     m_rkcn.push_back(0.0);
     m_ropf.push_back(0.0);