diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/ck2cti.py b/interfaces/cython/cantera/ck2cti.py
index 0264b7dc28..812b44cdb0 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/ck2cti.py
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/ck2cti.py
@@ -1549,7 +1549,8 @@ def readline():
                     tokens = tokens[1:]
                     while line is not None and not contains(line, 'END'):
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() == 'SPEC':
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('SPEC', 'SPECIES'):
                             self.warn('"ELEMENTS" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
@@ -1572,7 +1573,9 @@ def readline():
                     inHeader = False
                     while line is not None and not contains(line, 'END'):
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() in ('REAC', 'TRAN', 'THER'):
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('REAC', 'REACTIONS', 'TRAN',
+                                                  'TRANSPORT', 'THER', 'THERMO'):
                             self.warn('"SPECIES" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
@@ -1620,7 +1623,9 @@ def readline():
                     inHeader = False
                     while line is not None and not contains(line, 'END'):
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() in ('REAC', 'THER'):
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('REAC', 'REACTIONS', 'THER',
+                                                  'THERMO'):
                             self.warn('"SITE" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
@@ -1659,7 +1664,8 @@ def readline():
                     entry = []
                     while line is not None and not get_index(line, 'END') == 0:
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() in ('REAC', 'TRAN'):
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('REAC', 'REACTIONS', 'TRAN', 'TRANSPORT'):
                             self.warn('"THERMO" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
@@ -1728,7 +1734,8 @@ def readline():
                     current = []
                     while line is not None and not contains(line, 'END'):
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() in ('REAC', 'TRAN'):
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('REAC', 'REACTIONS', 'TRAN', 'TRANSPORT'):
                             self.warn('"THERMO" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
@@ -1819,7 +1826,8 @@ def readline():
                         reactions = self.reactions
                     while line is not None and not contains(line, 'END'):
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() == 'TRAN':
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('TRAN', 'TRANSPORT'):
                             self.warn('"REACTIONS" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
@@ -1878,7 +1886,8 @@ def readline():
                     transport_start_line = self.line_number
                     while line is not None and not contains(line, 'END'):
                         # Grudging support for implicit end of section
-                        if line.strip()[:4].upper() == 'REAC':
+                        start = line.strip().upper().split()
+                        if start and start[0] in ('REAC', 'REACTIONS'):
                             self.warn('"TRANSPORT" section implicitly ended by start of '
                                       'next section on line {0}.'.format(self.line_number))
                             advance = False
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/test/test_convert.py b/interfaces/cython/cantera/test/test_convert.py
index 359aefc1e5..39879fef9e 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/test/test_convert.py
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/test/test_convert.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def test_pathologicalSpeciesNames(self):
                     outName=pjoin(self.test_work_dir, 'species-names.cti'), quiet=True)
         gas = ct.Solution('species-names.cti')
 
-        self.assertEqual(gas.n_species, 7)
+        self.assertEqual(gas.n_species, 8)
         self.assertEqual(gas.species_name(0), '(Parens)')
         self.assertEqual(gas.species_name(1), '@#$%^-2')
         self.assertEqual(gas.species_index('co:lons:'), 2)
@@ -151,18 +151,19 @@ def test_pathologicalSpeciesNames(self):
         self.assertEqual(gas.species_name(5), 'eq=uals')
         self.assertEqual(gas.species_name(6), 'plus')
 
-        self.assertEqual(gas.n_reactions, 10)
+        self.assertEqual(gas.n_reactions, 11)
         nu = gas.product_stoich_coeffs() - gas.reactant_stoich_coeffs()
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,0]), [-1, -1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,1]), [-2, 3, 0, -1, 0, 0, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,2]), [-1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,3]), [3, 0, 0, 0, -2, -1, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,4]), [2, 0, 0, 0, -1, 0, -1])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,5]), [1, 0, 0, 0, 1, -1, -1])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,6]), [2, 0, -1, 0, 0, -1, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,7]), [0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 1, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,8]), [0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 1, 0])
-        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,9]), [0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 1, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,0]), [-1, -1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,1]), [-2, 3, 0, -1, 0, 0, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,2]), [-1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,3]), [3, 0, 0, 0, -2, -1, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,4]), [2, 0, 0, 0, -1, 0, -1, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,5]), [1, 0, 0, 0, 1, -1, -1, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,6]), [2, 0, -1, 0, 0, -1, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,7]), [0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 1, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,8]), [0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 1, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,9]), [0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 1, 0, 0])
+        self.assertEqual(list(nu[:,10]), [0, 0, -1, 0, 2, 0, 0, -1])
 
     def test_unterminatedSections(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ck2cti.InputParseError):
diff --git a/test/data/species-names.inp b/test/data/species-names.inp
index 8c0ff5d6c7..6e97053703 100644
--- a/test/data/species-names.inp
+++ b/test/data/species-names.inp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Elements
 H  C
 End
 SPEC
-(Parens)  @#$%^-2  co:lons: [xy2]*{.}  plus+ eq=uals plus
+(Parens)  @#$%^-2  co:lons: [xy2]*{.}  plus+ eq=uals plus trans_butene
 end
 
 thermo
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ co:lons:                C   1H   4          G   200.000  3500.000  1000.000    1
  7.48514950E-02 1.33909467E-02-5.73285809E-06 1.22292535E-09-1.01815230E-13    2
 -9.46834459E+03 1.84373180E+01 5.14987613E+00-1.36709788E-02 4.91800599E-05    3
 -4.84743026E-08 1.66693956E-11-1.02466476E+04-4.64130376E+00                   4
+trans_butene            C   1H   4          G   200.000  3500.000  1000.000    1
+ 7.48514950E-02 1.33909467E-02-5.73285809E-06 1.22292535E-09-1.01815230E-13    2
+-9.46834459E+03 1.84373180E+01 5.14987613E+00-1.36709788E-02 4.91800599E-05    3
+-4.84743026E-08 1.66693956E-11-1.02466476E+04-4.64130376E+00                   4
 plus+                   C   1H   4          G   200.000  3500.000  1000.000    1
  7.48514950E-02 1.33909467E-02-5.73285809E-06 1.22292535E-09-1.01815230E-13    2
 -9.46834459E+03 1.84373180E+01 5.14987613E+00-1.36709788E-02 4.91800599E-05    3
@@ -51,5 +55,6 @@ plus+ (+(Parens)) = eq=uals  (+(Parens))     9.999e9   9.9   999.9
 LOW / 8.888e8   8.8   888.8 /
 plus+ (+plus+) = eq=uals  (+plus+)     9.999e9   9.9   999.9
 LOW / 8.888e8   8.8   888.8 /
+trans_butene + co:lons: = 2 plus+      9.999e9   9.9   999.9
 
 end