diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp
index 18130be33..e3d0f2045 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_ConstVol.cpp
@@ -115,12 +115,12 @@ VPSSMgr_ConstVol::initThermoXML(XML_Node& phaseNode, const std::string& id)
         const XML_Node* ss = s->findByName("standardState");
         if (!ss) {
             throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_ConstVol::initThermoXML",
-                               "no standardState Node for species " + s->name());
+                               "no standardState Node for species " + s->attrib("name"));
         }
         std::string model = (*ss)["model"];
         if (model != "constant_incompressible" && model != "constantVolume") {
             throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_ConstVol::initThermoXML",
-                               "standardState model for species isn't constant_incompressible: " + s->name());
+                               "standardState model for species isn't constant_incompressible: " + s->attrib("name"));
         }
         m_Vss[k] = ctml::getFloat(*ss, "molarVolume", "toSI");
     }
@@ -132,14 +132,14 @@ VPSSMgr_ConstVol::createInstallPDSS(size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode,
 {
     const XML_Node* ss = speciesNode.findByName("standardState");
     if (!ss) {
-        throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_ConstVol::installSpecies",
-                           "no standardState Node for species " + speciesNode.name());
+        throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_ConstVol::createInstallPDSS",
+                           "no standardState Node for species " + speciesNode["name"]);
     }
     std::string model = (*ss)["model"];
     if (model != "constant_incompressible" && model != "constantVolume") {
-        throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_ConstVol::initThermoXML",
+        throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_ConstVol::createInstallPDSS",
                            "standardState model for species isn't "
-                           "constant_incompressible: " + speciesNode.name());
+                           "constant_incompressible: " + speciesNode["name"]);
     }
     if (m_Vss.size() < k+1) {
         m_Vss.resize(k+1, 0.0);
diff --git a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
index 9b287d843..7b5f4e2e3 100644
--- a/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/VPSSMgr_IdealGas.cpp
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ VPSSMgr_IdealGas::createInstallPDSS(size_t k, const XML_Node& speciesNode,
     if (ss) {
         std::string model = (*ss)["model"];
         if (model != "ideal_gas") {
-            throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_IdealGas::initThermoXML",
+            throw CanteraError("VPSSMgr_IdealGas::createInstallPDSS",
                                "standardState model for species isn't "
-                               "ideal_gas: " + speciesNode.name());
+                               "ideal_gas: " + speciesNode["name"]);
         }
     }
     if (m_Vss.size() < k+1) {