diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/Elements.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/Elements.cpp
index e50b8930d..221db2740 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/Elements.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/Elements.cpp
@@ -526,52 +526,56 @@ namespace Cantera {
     }
 
 
-    void Elements::addElementsFromXML(const XML_Node& phase) {
-
-        // get the declared element names
-        XML_Node& elements = phase.child("elementArray");
-        vector<string> enames;
-        getStringArray(elements, enames);
-        
-        // // element database defaults to elements.xml
-        string element_database = "elements.xml";
-        if (elements.hasAttrib("datasrc")) 
-            element_database = elements["datasrc"];
-
-        XML_Node* doc = get_XML_File(element_database);
-        XML_Node* dbe = &doc->child("ctml/elementData");
-
-        XML_Node& root = phase.root();
-        XML_Node* local_db = 0;
-	if (root.hasChild("ctml")) {
-	  if (root.child("ctml").hasChild("elementData")) {
-            local_db = &root.child("ctml/elementData");
-	  }
-	}
-
-        int nel = static_cast<int>(enames.size());
-        int i;
-        string enm;
-        XML_Node* e = 0;
-        for (i = 0; i < nel; i++) {
-            e = 0;
-            if (local_db) {
-                //writelog("looking in local database.");
-                e = local_db->findByAttr("name",enames[i]);
-                //if (!e) writelog(enames[i]+" not found.");
-            }
-            if (!e)
-                e = dbe->findByAttr("name",enames[i]);
-            if (e) {
-                addUniqueElement(*e);
-            }
-            else {
-                throw CanteraError("addElementsFromXML","no data for element "
-                    +enames[i]);
-            }
-        }
+  void Elements::addElementsFromXML(const XML_Node& phase) {
 
+    // get the declared element names
+    if (! phase.hasChild("elementArray")) {
+      throw CanteraError("Elements::addElementsFromXML",
+			 "phase xml node doesn't have \"elementArray\" XML Node");
     }
+    XML_Node& elements = phase.child("elementArray");
+    vector<string> enames;
+    getStringArray(elements, enames);
+        
+    // // element database defaults to elements.xml
+    string element_database = "elements.xml";
+    if (elements.hasAttrib("datasrc")) 
+      element_database = elements["datasrc"];
+
+    XML_Node* doc = get_XML_File(element_database);
+    XML_Node* dbe = &doc->child("ctml/elementData");
+
+    XML_Node& root = phase.root();
+    XML_Node* local_db = 0;
+    if (root.hasChild("ctml")) {
+      if (root.child("ctml").hasChild("elementData")) {
+	local_db = &root.child("ctml/elementData");
+      }
+    }
+
+    int nel = static_cast<int>(enames.size());
+    int i;
+    string enm;
+    XML_Node* e = 0;
+    for (i = 0; i < nel; i++) {
+      e = 0;
+      if (local_db) {
+	//writelog("looking in local database.");
+	e = local_db->findByAttr("name",enames[i]);
+	//if (!e) writelog(enames[i]+" not found.");
+      }
+      if (!e)
+	e = dbe->findByAttr("name",enames[i]);
+      if (e) {
+	addUniqueElement(*e);
+      }
+      else {
+	throw CanteraError("addElementsFromXML","no data for element "
+			   +enames[i]);
+      }
+    }
+
+	}
 
     /*
      *  subscribe(), unsubscribe(), and reportSubscriptions():
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/PDSS_HKFT.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/PDSS_HKFT.cpp
index aeb82a9d2..05104877e 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/PDSS_HKFT.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/PDSS_HKFT.cpp
@@ -200,11 +200,9 @@ namespace Cantera {
    * Calculate the constant pressure heat capacity
    * in mks units of J kmol-1 K-1
    */
-  doublereal 
-  PDSS_HKFT::cp_mole() const {
+  doublereal PDSS_HKFT::cp_mole() const {
 
     double pbar = m_pres * 1.0E-5;
-
     double c1term = m_c1;
 
     double c2term = m_c2 / (m_temp - 228.) / (m_temp - 228.);
@@ -256,10 +254,8 @@ namespace Cantera {
     double Cp_calgmol = c1term + c2term + a3term + a4term + yterm + xterm + otterm;
 
     // Convert to Joules / kmol
-    double Cp = Cp_calgmol * 1.0E3 * 4.184;
-    return Cp;
-
-   
+    doublereal Cp = Cp_calgmol * 1.0E3 * 4.184;
+    return Cp;   
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
index 797457511..cf78abfef 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -260,10 +260,10 @@ namespace Cantera {
 
     // Check the the supplied XML node in fact represents a 
     // phase.
-    if (phase.name() != "phase") 
+    if (phase.name() != "phase") {
       throw CanteraError("importPhase",
-			 "Current const XML_Node is not a phase element.");
-
+			 "Current const XML_Node named, " + phase.name() + ", is not a phase element.");
+    }
 
     // set the id attribute of the phase to the 'id' attribute 
     // in the XML tree.
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
       int idim = intValue(phase["dim"]);
       if (idim < 1 || idim > 3)
 	throw CanteraError("importPhase",
-			   "unphysical number of dimensions: "+phase["dim"]);
+			   "phase, " + th->id() + ", has unphysical number of dimensions: " + phase["dim"]);
       th->setNDim(idim);
     }
     else {
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ namespace Cantera {
     if (phase.hasChild("thermo")) {
       const XML_Node& eos = phase.child("thermo");
       th->setParametersFromXML(eos);
+    } else {
+      throw CanteraError("importPhase", 
+			 " phase, " + th->id() + ", XML_Node does not have a \"thermo\" XML_Node");
     }
 
     VPStandardStateTP *vpss_ptr = 0;
@@ -296,7 +299,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
       vpss_ptr = dynamic_cast <VPStandardStateTP *>(th);
       if (vpss_ptr == 0) {
 	throw CanteraError("importPhase",
-			   "phase was VPSS, but dynamic cast failed");
+			   "phase, " + th->id() + ", was VPSS, but dynamic cast failed");
       }
     } 
 
@@ -311,7 +314,6 @@ namespace Cantera {
      ***************************************************************/
     th->addElementsFromXML(phase);
 
-
     /***************************************************************
      * Add the species. 
      *
@@ -323,6 +325,11 @@ namespace Cantera {
     vector<XML_Node*> sparrays;
     phase.getChildren("speciesArray", sparrays);
     int jsp, nspa = static_cast<int>(sparrays.size());
+    if (nspa == 0) {
+      throw CanteraError("importPhase",
+			 "phase, " + th->id() + ", has zero \"speciesArray\" XML nodes.\n"
+			 + " There must be at least one speciesArray nodes with one or more species");
+    }
     vector<XML_Node*> dbases;
     vector_int sprule(nspa,0);