diff --git a/include/cantera/transport/TransportParams.h b/include/cantera/transport/TransportParams.h
index 6f0553ee2..2e1288317 100644
--- a/include/cantera/transport/TransportParams.h
+++ b/include/cantera/transport/TransportParams.h
@@ -218,11 +218,11 @@ public:
 
     //! The effective dipole moment for (i,j) collisions
     /*!
-     *  tr.dipoleMoment has units of Debye's. A Debye is 10-18 cm3/2 erg1/2
+     *  dipoleMoment has units of Debye. A Debye is 3.335e-30 C-m
      *
-     *    tr.dipole(i,i) = 1.e-25 * SqrtTen * trdat.dipoleMoment;
+     *    tr.dipole(i,i) = 1.e-21 / lightSpeed * dipoleMoment;
      *    tr.dipole(i,j) = sqrt(tr.dipole(i,i)*tr.dipole(j,j));
-     *  Units are  in Debye  (note, no kmol -> this is a per molecule amount)
+     *  (note, no kmol -> this is a per molecule amount)
      *
      *  Length nsp * nsp. This is a symmetric matrix.
      */
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ public:
     //! Matrix containing the reduced dipole moment of the interaction between two species
     /*!
      *  This is the reduced dipole moment of the interaction between two species
-     *        0.5 * tr.dipole(i,j)*tr.dipole(i,j)  (epsilon(i,j) * d * d * d);
+     *        0.5 * tr.dipole(i,j)^2 / (4 * Pi * epsilon_0 * epsilon(i,j) * d^3);
      *
      *  Length nsp * nsp .This is a symmetric matrix
      */
diff --git a/src/transport/TransportFactory.cpp b/src/transport/TransportFactory.cpp
index 0164e1529..083ec853d 100644
--- a/src/transport/TransportFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/transport/TransportFactory.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ void TransportFactory::makePolarCorrections(size_t i, size_t j,
     d3np = pow(tr.sigma[knp],3);
     d3p  = pow(tr.sigma[kp],3);
     alpha_star = tr.alpha[knp]/d3np;
-    mu_p_star  = tr.dipole(kp,kp)/sqrt(d3p * tr.eps[kp]);
+    mu_p_star  = tr.dipole(kp,kp)/sqrt(4 * Pi * epsilon_0 * d3p * tr.eps[kp]);
     xi = 1.0 + 0.25 * alpha_star * mu_p_star * mu_p_star *
          sqrt(tr.eps[kp]/tr.eps[knp]);
     f_sigma = pow(xi, -1.0/6.0);
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ void TransportFactory::setupMM(const std::vector<const XML_Node*> &transport_dat
             // reduced dipole moment delta* (nondimensional)
             doublereal d = diam(i,j);
             tr.delta(i,j) =  0.5 * tr.dipole(i,j)*tr.dipole(i,j)
-                             / (epsilon(i,j) * d * d * d);
+                             / (4 * Pi * epsilon_0 * epsilon(i,j) * d * d * d);
 
             makePolarCorrections(i, j, tr, f_eps, f_sigma);
             tr.diam(i,j) *= f_sigma;
@@ -760,10 +760,10 @@ void TransportFactory::getTransportData(const ThermoPhase& thermo, const std::ve
         }
 
         // Dipole moment of the molecule.
-        // Given in Debye (a debye is 10-18 cm3/2 erg1/2)
+        // Given in Debye (a Debye is 1e-18 statC-m or 3.3356e-30 C-m)
         double dipole = ctml::getFloat(node, "dipoleMoment");
         if (dipole >= 0.0) {
-            tr.dipole(j,j) = 1.e-25 * SqrtTen * dipole;
+            tr.dipole(j,j) = 1e-21 / lightSpeed * dipole;
             tr.polar[j] = (dipole > 0.0);
         } else {
             throw TransportDBError(i, "negative dipole moment");