diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h b/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h
index 9583691ba..57abe14e1 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h
@@ -278,11 +278,12 @@ SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const std::string& type,
 
 //! Create a new SpeciesThermoInterpType object from XML_Node
 /*!
- *  @param speciesNode XML_Node defining the species (with child 'thermo' node)
+ *  @param thermo 'thermo' XML_Node (child of the 'species' node) with child
+ *      nodes representing parameterizations for one or more temperature ranges
  *  @return       Returns the pointer to the newly allocated
  *                SpeciesThermoInterpType object
  */
-SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& speciesNode);
+SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& thermoNode);
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/thermo/LatticeSolidPhase.cpp b/src/thermo/LatticeSolidPhase.cpp
index 321565a4f..478c026a9 100644
--- a/src/thermo/LatticeSolidPhase.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/LatticeSolidPhase.cpp
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@ void LatticeSolidPhase::installSlavePhases(Cantera::XML_Node* phaseNode)
             }
             addUniqueSpecies(lp->speciesName(k), &ecomp[0], lp->charge(k),
                              lp->size(k));
-            shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(*spNode[k]));
+            shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(
+                newSpeciesThermoInterpType(spNode[k]->child("thermo")));
             stit->validate(spNode[k]->attrib("name"));
             m_spthermo->install_STIT(kk, stit);
             m_speciesData.push_back(new XML_Node(*(spNode[k])));
diff --git a/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
index 1ae25c048..aac531370 100644
--- a/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -570,7 +570,8 @@ void SpeciesThermoFactory::installThermoForSpecies
 (size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode, ThermoPhase* th_ptr,
  SpeciesThermo& spthermo, const XML_Node* phaseNode_ptr) const
 {
-    shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(speciesNode));
+    shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(
+        newSpeciesThermoInterpType(speciesNode.child("thermo")));
     stit->validate(speciesNode["name"]);
     spthermo.install_STIT(k, stit);
 }
@@ -595,18 +596,8 @@ void SpeciesThermoFactory::installVPThermoForSpecies(size_t k,
     vp_ptr->createInstallPDSS(k, speciesNode,  phaseNode_ptr);
 }
 
-SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& speciesNode)
+SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& thermo)
 {
-    /*
-     * Check to see that the species block has a thermo block
-     * before processing. Throw an error if not there.
-     */
-    if (!(speciesNode.hasChild("thermo"))) {
-        throw UnknownSpeciesThermoModel("installThermoForSpecies",
-                                        speciesNode["name"], "<nonexistent>");
-    }
-    const XML_Node& thermo = speciesNode.child("thermo");
-
     // Get the children of the thermo XML node. In the next bit of code we take out the comments that
     // may have been children of the thermo XML node by doing a selective copy.
     // These shouldn't interfere with the algorithm at any point.
@@ -619,13 +610,11 @@ SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& speciesNode)
     }
 
     std::string thermoType = lowercase(tp[0]->name());
-    std::string specName = speciesNode["name"];
 
     for (size_t i = 1; i < tp.size(); i++) {
         if (lowercase(tp[i]->name()) != thermoType) {
             throw CanteraError("newSpeciesThermoInterpType",
-                "Encounter unsupported mixed species thermo parameterizations "
-                "for species '" + specName + "'.");
+                "Encounterd unsupported mixed species thermo parameterizations");
         }
     }
     if ((tp.size() > 2 && thermoType != "nasa9") ||
@@ -633,8 +622,7 @@ SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& speciesNode)
                            thermoType == "mu0" ||
                            thermoType == "adsorbate"))) {
         throw CanteraError("newSpeciesThermoInterpType",
-            "Too many regions in thermo parameterization for species '" +
-            specName + "'.");
+            "Too many regions in thermo parameterization.");
     }
 
     if (thermo["model"] == "MineralEQ3") {
@@ -658,8 +646,8 @@ SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& speciesNode)
     } else if (thermoType == "statmech") {
         return newStatMechThermoFromXML(*tp[0]);
     } else {
-        throw UnknownSpeciesThermoModel("installThermoForSpecies",
-                                        specName, thermoType);
+        throw CanteraError("newSpeciesThermoInterpType",
+            "Unknown species thermo model '" + thermoType + "'.");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
index 850b2c1c7..56f4bef22 100644
--- a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ bool installSpecies(size_t k, const XML_Node& s, thermo_t& th,
         vp_ptr->createInstallPDSS(k, s, phaseNode_ptr);
     } else {
         shared_ptr<Species> sp(new Species(s["name"], comp_map, chrg, sz));
-        sp->thermo.reset(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(s));
+        sp->thermo.reset(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(s.child("thermo")));
 
         // Read gas-phase transport data, if provided
         if (s.hasChild("transport") &&
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr.cpp
index 21300d3a1..e62752b82 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr.cpp
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ void VPSSMgr::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id)
 void VPSSMgr::installSTSpecies(size_t k,  const XML_Node& s,
                                const XML_Node* phaseNode_ptr)
 {
-    shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(s));
+    shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(s.child("thermo")));
     stit->validate(s["name"]);
     m_spthermo->install_STIT(k, stit);
     if (m_p0 < 0.0) {
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
index dbe2206d4..3e3c322df 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ VPSSMgr_IdealGas::createInstallPDSS(size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode,
         m_Vss.resize(k+1, 0.0);
     }
 
-    shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(speciesNode));
+    shared_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> stit(
+        newSpeciesThermoInterpType(speciesNode.child("thermo")));
     stit->validate(speciesNode["name"]);
     m_spthermo->install_STIT(k, stit);