diff --git a/src/base/ctexceptions.cpp b/src/base/ctexceptions.cpp
index 1eeb3a40a..2a71ad7f0 100644
--- a/src/base/ctexceptions.cpp
+++ b/src/base/ctexceptions.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ const char* CanteraError::what() const throw()
     try {
         formattedMessage_ = "\n";
         formattedMessage_ += stars;
-        formattedMessage_ += getClass() + " thrown by " + procedure_ + ":\n" + getMessage();
+        formattedMessage_ += getClass();
+        if (procedure_.size()) {
+            formattedMessage_ += " thrown by " + procedure_;
+        }
+        formattedMessage_ += ":\n" + getMessage();
         if (formattedMessage_.compare(formattedMessage_.size()-1, 1, "\n")) {
             formattedMessage_.append("\n");
         }
diff --git a/src/base/xml.cpp b/src/base/xml.cpp
index 08ec8be95..48bd039ea 100644
--- a/src/base/xml.cpp
+++ b/src/base/xml.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ protected:
         m_msg += ".\n";
     }
 
+    virtual std::string getMessage() const {
+        return m_msg;
+    }
+
     //! destructor
     virtual ~XML_Error() throw() {
     }
@@ -71,7 +75,10 @@ public:
                     int line=0) :
         XML_Error(line) {
         m_msg += "<" + opentag + "> paired with </" + closetag + ">.\n";
-        setError("XML_TagMismatch", m_msg);
+    }
+
+    virtual std::string getClass() const {
+        return "XML_TagMismatch";
     }
 };
 
@@ -101,7 +108,10 @@ public:
         ostringstream ss(ostringstream::out);
         p->write(ss,1);
         m_msg += ss.str() + "\n";
-        setError("XML_NoChild", m_msg);
+    }
+
+    virtual std::string getClass() const {
+        return "XML_NoChild";
     }
 };