diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.cpp b/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.cpp
index 215237cca..ac060e27d 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.cpp
@@ -864,6 +864,33 @@ namespace Cantera {
       XML_Node& stateNode = phaseNode.child("state");
       setStateFromXML(stateNode);
     }
+    setReferenceComposition(0);
+  }
+
+  void ThermoPhase::setReferenceComposition(const doublereal *const x) {
+    xMol_Ref.resize(m_kk);
+    if (x) {
+      for (int k = 0; k < m_kk; k++) {
+        xMol_Ref[k] = x[k];
+      }
+    } else {
+      getMoleFractions(DATA_PTR(xMol_Ref));
+    }
+    double sum = -1.0;
+    for (int k = 0; k < m_kk; k++) {
+      sum += xMol_Ref[k];
+    }
+    if (fabs(sum) > 1.0E-11) {
+      throw CanteraError("ThermoPhase::setReferenceComposition",
+                         "input mole fractions don't sum to 1.0");
+    }
+
+  }
+
+  void ThermoPhase::getReferenceComposition( doublereal *const x) const {
+    for (int k = 0; k < m_kk; k++) {
+      x[k] = xMol_Ref[k];
+    }
   }
   
   /*
@@ -887,6 +914,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
       throw CanteraError("ThermoPhase::initThermo()",
 			 "Number of species is less than or equal to zero");
     }
+    xMol_Ref.resize(m_kk, 0.0);
   }
 
   void ThermoPhase::saveSpeciesData(const int k, const XML_Node* const data) {
diff --git a/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.h b/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.h
index 4b2f17ee3..f4c2042a0 100755
--- a/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.h
+++ b/Cantera/src/thermo/ThermoPhase.h
@@ -1392,6 +1392,20 @@ namespace Cantera {
       err("getStandardVolumes_ref");
     }
 
+    //! Sets the reference composition
+    /*!
+     *  @param x   Mole fraction vector to set the reference composition to.
+     *             If this is zero, then the reference mole fraction
+     *             is set to the current mole fraction vector.
+     */
+    virtual void setReferenceComposition(const doublereal * const x);
+
+    //! Gets the reference composition
+    /*!
+     *  The reference mole fraction is a safe mole fraction.
+     *  @param x   Mole fraction vector containing the reference composition.
+     */
+    virtual void getReferenceComposition(doublereal * const x) const;
    
     //
     //  The methods below are not virtual, and should not
@@ -2058,6 +2072,15 @@ namespace Cantera {
     //! Contains the standard state convention
     int m_ssConvention;
 
+    //! Reference Mole Fraction Composition
+    /*!
+     *  Occasionally, the need arises to find a safe mole fraction vector to initialize
+     *  the object to. This contains such a vector.
+     *  The algorithm will pick up the mole fraction vector that is applied from 
+     *  the state xml file in the input file 
+     */
+    std::vector<doublereal> xMol_Ref;
+
   private:
 
     //! Error function that gets called for unhandled cases