diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/MetalPhase.h b/include/cantera/thermo/MetalPhase.h
index 2cad63efb..25b618a94 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/MetalPhase.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/MetalPhase.h
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ public:
         return 0.0;
     }
 
+    virtual void initThermo() {
+        if (m_input.hasKey("density")) {
+            setDensity(m_input.convert("density", "kg/m^3"));
+        }
+    }
+
     virtual void setParametersFromXML(const XML_Node& eosdata) {
         eosdata._require("model","Metal");
         doublereal rho = getFloat(eosdata, "density", "density");
diff --git a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
index aeeb44b6c..fb545936f 100644
--- a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ ThermoFactory::ThermoFactory()
     reg("Edge", []() { return new EdgePhase(); });
     m_synonyms["edge"] = "Edge";
     reg("Metal", []() { return new MetalPhase(); });
+    m_synonyms["electron-cloud"] = "Metal";
     reg("StoichSubstance", []() { return new StoichSubstance(); });
     m_synonyms["fixed-stoichiometry"] = "StoichSubstance";
     reg("PureFluid", []() { return new PureFluidPhase(); });
diff --git a/test/data/thermo-models.yaml b/test/data/thermo-models.yaml
index 5a2ae0efc..51fb3620a 100644
--- a/test/data/thermo-models.yaml
+++ b/test/data/thermo-models.yaml
@@ -204,6 +204,13 @@ phases:
   composition: {Li7Si3(s): 1.0, Li7Si3-interstitial: 1.0}
   state: {T: 725 K, P: 10 atm}
 
+- name: Metal
+  thermo: electron-cloud
+  species: ["electron"]
+  density: 9 kg/m^3
+  state: {T: 1073.15, P: 1 atm}
+
+
 species:
 - name: NaCl(s)
   composition: {Na: 1, Cl: 1}
@@ -316,6 +323,11 @@ species:
     - [2.92664, 0.0014879768, -5.68476e-07, 1.0097038e-10, -6.753351e-15,
       -922.7977, 5.980528]
 
+- name: electron
+  composition: {E: 1}
+  thermo:
+    model: constant-cp
+
 
 ideal-molal-fake-species:
 # Fake thermo data (GRI 3.0 coefficients for H2)
diff --git a/test/thermo/thermoFromYaml.cpp b/test/thermo/thermoFromYaml.cpp
index 4ba1a710d..fb71534a3 100644
--- a/test/thermo/thermoFromYaml.cpp
+++ b/test/thermo/thermoFromYaml.cpp
@@ -367,3 +367,10 @@ TEST(ThermoFromYaml, Lattice)
         EXPECT_NEAR(vol[k], vol_ref[k], 1e-7);
     }
 }
+
+TEST(ThermoFromYaml, Metal)
+{
+    auto thermo = newThermo("thermo-models.yaml", "Metal");
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(thermo->density(), 9.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(thermo->gibbs_mass(), 0.0);
+}