diff --git a/include/cantera/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.h b/include/cantera/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.h
index 80ae935de..3ed245314 100644
--- a/include/cantera/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.h
+++ b/include/cantera/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.h
@@ -654,7 +654,13 @@ protected:
      */
     std::vector<size_t> m_revindex;
 
-    Rate1<SurfaceArrhenius>                    m_rates;
+    //! Templated class containing the vector of reactions for this interface
+    /*!
+     *  The templated class is described in RateCoeffMgr.h
+     *  The class SurfaceArrhenius is described in RxnRates.h
+     */
+    Rate1<SurfaceArrhenius> m_rates;
+
     bool                                m_redo_rates;
 
     /**
diff --git a/include/cantera/kinetics/RateCoeffMgr.h b/include/cantera/kinetics/RateCoeffMgr.h
index 6bc1df8cc..095797828 100644
--- a/include/cantera/kinetics/RateCoeffMgr.h
+++ b/include/cantera/kinetics/RateCoeffMgr.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public:
         */
         if (rdata.rateCoeffType != R::type())
             throw CanteraError("Rate1::install",
-                               "incorrect rate coefficient type: "+int2str(rdata.rateCoeffType));
+                               "incorrect rate coefficient type: "+int2str(rdata.rateCoeffType) + ". Was Expecting type: "+ int2str(R::type()));
 
         // Install a rate calculator and return the index of the calculator.
         m_rxn.push_back(rxnNumber);
diff --git a/include/cantera/kinetics/ReactionData.h b/include/cantera/kinetics/ReactionData.h
index cc58693c6..0bab6ce51 100644
--- a/include/cantera/kinetics/ReactionData.h
+++ b/include/cantera/kinetics/ReactionData.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ namespace Cantera
 class ReactionData
 {
 public:
+    //! Default constructor
     ReactionData() {
         reactionType = ELEMENTARY_RXN;
         number = 0;
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ public:
         isReversibleWithFrac = false;
         beta = 0.0;
     }
+
+    //! Destructor
     virtual ~ReactionData() {}
 
     //! type of the reaction
@@ -53,15 +56,19 @@ public:
     //! True if the current reaction is reversible. False otherwise
     bool reversible;
 
-    //! type of the rate coefficient for the forward rate constant
+    //! Type of the rate coefficient for the forward rate constant
     /*!
      *  The valid types are listed in the file, reaction_defs.h and they
      *  all end in RATECOEFF_TYPE
      */
     int rateCoeffType;
 
+    //! Vector of rate coefficient parameters
     vector_fp rateCoeffParameters;
+
+    //! Vector of auxillary rate coefficient parameters
     vector_fp auxRateCoeffParameters;
+
     int falloffType;
     vector_fp falloffParameters;
     int error;
diff --git a/include/cantera/kinetics/RxnRates.h b/include/cantera/kinetics/RxnRates.h
index 8d520efed..c8b11adc6 100644
--- a/include/cantera/kinetics/RxnRates.h
+++ b/include/cantera/kinetics/RxnRates.h
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class SurfaceArrhenius
 
 public:
     static int type() {
-        return ARRHENIUS_REACTION_RATECOEFF_TYPE;
+        return SURF_ARRHENIUS_REACTION_RATECOEFF_TYPE;
     }
 
     SurfaceArrhenius() :
diff --git a/src/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.cpp b/src/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.cpp
index 3751ff3df..a49cc4376 100644
--- a/src/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.cpp
+++ b/src/kinetics/InterfaceKinetics.cpp
@@ -1114,7 +1114,28 @@ void InterfaceKinetics::addElementaryReaction(ReactionData& r)
     for (size_t m = 0; m < ncov; m++) {
         rp.push_back(r.cov[m]);
     }
+
+    /*
+     * Temporarily change the reaction rate coefficient type to surface arrhenius.
+     * This is what is expected. We'll handle exchange current types below by hand.
+     */
+    int reactionRateCoeffType_orig = r.rateCoeffType;
+    if (r.rateCoeffType == EXCHANGE_CURRENT_REACTION_RATECOEFF_TYPE) {
+       r.rateCoeffType = SURF_ARRHENIUS_REACTION_RATECOEFF_TYPE;
+    }
+    if (r.rateCoeffType == ARRHENIUS_REACTION_RATECOEFF_TYPE) {
+       r.rateCoeffType = SURF_ARRHENIUS_REACTION_RATECOEFF_TYPE;
+    }
+    /*
+     * Install the reaction rate into the vector of reactions handled by this class
+     */
     size_t iloc = m_rates.install(reactionNumber(), r);
+
+    /*
+     * Change the reaction rate coefficient type back to its original value
+     */
+    r.rateCoeffType = reactionRateCoeffType_orig;
+
     // store activation energy
     m_E.push_back(r.rateCoeffParameters[2]);