diff --git a/include/cantera/numerics/DenseMatrix.h b/include/cantera/numerics/DenseMatrix.h
index f7946b573..0ddf974dd 100644
--- a/include/cantera/numerics/DenseMatrix.h
+++ b/include/cantera/numerics/DenseMatrix.h
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ public:
      *  The default is to set this to 0. In this case, if a factorization is requested and can't be achieved,
      *  a CESingularMatrix exception is triggered. No return code is used, because an exception is thrown.
      *  If this is set to 1, then an exception is not thrown. Routines return with an error code, that is up
-     *  to the calling routine to handle correctly
+     *  to the calling routine to handle correctly. Negative return codes always throw an exception.
      */
     int m_useReturnErrorCode;
 
diff --git a/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp b/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp
index 0fdd6f1fe..263425959 100644
--- a/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp
+++ b/src/equil/ChemEquil.cpp
@@ -396,11 +396,8 @@ int ChemEquil::estimateElementPotentials(thermo_t& s, vector_fp& lambda_RT,
         b[m] = mu_RT[m_component[m]];
     }
 
-    int info;
-    try {
-        info = solve(aa, DATA_PTR(b));
-    } catch (CanteraError& err) {
-        err.save();
+    int info = solve(aa, DATA_PTR(b));
+    if (info) {
         if (loglevel > 0) {
             addLogEntry("failed to estimate initial element potentials.");
         }
diff --git a/src/numerics/DenseMatrix.cpp b/src/numerics/DenseMatrix.cpp
index a129e0bcb..9e09da9ea 100644
--- a/src/numerics/DenseMatrix.cpp
+++ b/src/numerics/DenseMatrix.cpp
@@ -139,44 +139,39 @@ int solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)
         if (A.m_printLevel) {
             writelogf("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b): Can only solve a square matrix\n");
         }
-        if (! A.m_useReturnErrorCode) {
-            throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)", "Can only solve a square matrix");
-        }
-        return -1;
+        throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)", "Can only solve a square matrix");
     }
     ct_dgetrf(A.nRows(), A.nColumns(), A.ptrColumn(0),
               A.nRows(), &A.ipiv()[0], info);
-    if (info != 0) {
-        if (info > 0) {
-            if (A.m_printLevel) {
-                writelogf("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b): DGETRF returned INFO = %d   U(i,i) is exactly zero. The factorization has"
-                          " been completed, but the factor U is exactly singular, and division by zero will occur if "
-                          "it is used to solve a system of equations.\n", info);
-            }
-            if (! A.m_useReturnErrorCode) {
-                throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)",
-                                    "DGETRF returned INFO = "+int2str(info) + ".   U(i,i) is exactly zero. The factorization has"
-                                    " been completed, but the factor U is exactly singular, and division by zero will occur if "
-                                    "it is used to solve a system of equations.");
-            }
-        } else {
-            if (A.m_printLevel) {
-                writelogf("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b): DGETRF returned INFO = %d. The argument i has an illegal value\n", info);
-            }
-            if (! A.m_useReturnErrorCode) {
-                throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)",
-                                    "DGETRF returned INFO = "+int2str(info) + ". The argument i has an illegal value");
-            }
+    if (info > 0) {
+        if (A.m_printLevel) {
+            writelogf("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b): DGETRF returned INFO = %d   U(i,i) is exactly zero. The factorization has"
+                      " been completed, but the factor U is exactly singular, and division by zero will occur if "
+                      "it is used to solve a system of equations.\n", info);
+        }
+        if (!A.m_useReturnErrorCode) {
+            throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)",
+                                "DGETRF returned INFO = "+int2str(info) + ".   U(i,i) is exactly zero. The factorization has"
+                                " been completed, but the factor U is exactly singular, and division by zero will occur if "
+                                "it is used to solve a system of equations.");
         }
         return info;
+    } else if (info < 0) {
+        if (A.m_printLevel) {
+            writelogf("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b): DGETRF returned INFO = %d. The argument i has an illegal value\n", info);
+        }
+
+        throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)",
+                            "DGETRF returned INFO = "+int2str(info) + ". The argument i has an illegal value");
     }
+
     ct_dgetrs(ctlapack::NoTranspose, A.nRows(), 1, A.ptrColumn(0),
               A.nRows(), &A.ipiv()[0], b, A.nColumns(), info);
     if (info != 0) {
         if (A.m_printLevel) {
             writelogf("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b): DGETRS returned INFO = %d\n", info);
         }
-        if (! A.m_useReturnErrorCode) {
+        if (info < 0 || !A.m_useReturnErrorCode) {
             throw CELapackError("solve(DenseMatrix& A, double* b)", "DGETRS returned INFO = "+int2str(info));
         }
     }