diff --git a/integration/RKC/_parameters b/integration/RKC/_parameters
index 26ce4131f7..599c712981 100644
--- a/integration/RKC/_parameters
+++ b/integration/RKC/_parameters
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 @namespace: integrator
 
+# do we scale the ODE system we integrate to make it O(1)?
+# for Strang, this simply means scaling e by the initial energy?
+scale_system              integer         1            100
+
+
 # use the Gershgorin circle theorem to estimate the spectral radius?
 # note: requires integrator.scale_system = 1
-use_circle_theorem       integer    0
+use_circle_theorem       integer          1
+
+
diff --git a/networks/ignition_simple/actual_rhs.H b/networks/ignition_simple/actual_rhs.H
index 596d0b0c6f..5daf9de7dd 100644
--- a/networks/ignition_simple/actual_rhs.H
+++ b/networks/ignition_simple/actual_rhs.H
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ void actual_jac (burn_t& state, MatrixType& jac)
 
     // carbon jacobian elements
     jac(C12, C12) = -(1.0_rt / 6.0_rt) * dens * rate * xc12tmp;
-    jac(Mg24, C12) = -jac(C12, C12);
+    jac(Mg24, C12) = -0.5_rt * jac(C12, C12);
 
     // add the temperature derivatives: df(y_i) / dT
     Real jac_C12_T = -(1.0_rt / 12.0_rt) * (dens * dratedt * xc12tmp * xc12tmp);
@@ -174,12 +174,13 @@ void actual_jac (burn_t& state, MatrixType& jac)
 
     // Now store as df(y_i) / de
     jac(C12, net_ienuc) = temperature_to_energy_jacobian(state, jac_C12_T);
+    jac(Mg24, net_ienuc) = temperature_to_energy_jacobian(state, -0.5_rt * jac_C12_T);
 
     // Energy generation rate Jacobian elements with respect to species
     ener_gener_rate(jac(C12, C12), jac(net_ienuc, C12));
 
     // Energy generation rate Jacobian element with respect to energy
-    ener_gener_rate(jac(net_ienuc, net_ienuc), jac_C12_T);
+    ener_gener_rate(jac(C12, net_ienuc), jac(net_ienuc, net_ienuc));
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/unit_test/burn_cell/ci-benchmarks/aprox13_RKC_unit_test.out b/unit_test/burn_cell/ci-benchmarks/aprox13_RKC_unit_test.out
index 0b90ab2f1d..3d539cc6e8 100644
--- a/unit_test/burn_cell/ci-benchmarks/aprox13_RKC_unit_test.out
+++ b/unit_test/burn_cell/ci-benchmarks/aprox13_RKC_unit_test.out
@@ -32,41 +32,41 @@ RHS at t = 0
   Ni56 3.938787868e-40
 ------------------------------------
 successful? 1
- - Hnuc = 8.558278158e+18
- - added e = 8.558278158e+16
- - final T = 1516420694
+ - Hnuc = 8.558390239e+18
+ - added e = 8.558390239e+16
+ - final T = 1516425860
 ------------------------------------
 e initial = 1.284393683e+17
-e final =   2.140221499e+17
+e final =   2.140232707e+17
 ------------------------------------
 new mass fractions: 
-He4 0.8760729004
-C12 0.1064105138
-O16 0.0001403212837
-Ne20 8.124852121e-05
-Mg24 0.0002973242454
-Si28 0.01113130507
-S32 0.005296312742
-Ar36 0.0005639653326
-Ca40 6.106588023e-06
-Ti44 2.002611523e-09
-Cr48 3.268456246e-14
-Fe52 7.117832617e-20
-Ni56 1.223647062e-26
+He4 0.8760723967
+C12 0.1064099566
+O16 0.0001403204362
+Ne20 8.129701233e-05
+Mg24 0.0002972369574
+Si28 0.01113151728
+S32 0.005297014797
+Ar36 0.0005641483161
+Ca40 6.109847027e-06
+Ti44 2.004306621e-09
+Cr48 3.272104798e-14
+Fe52 7.12614193e-20
+Ni56 1.224820021e-26
 ------------------------------------
 species creation rates: 
-omegadot(He4): -12.39270996
-omegadot(C12): 10.64105138
-omegadot(O16): 0.01403212837
-omegadot(Ne20): 0.008124852121
-omegadot(Mg24): 0.02973242454
-omegadot(Si28): 1.113130507
-omegadot(S32): 0.5296312742
-omegadot(Ar36): 0.05639653326
-omegadot(Ca40): 0.0006106588023
-omegadot(Ti44): 2.002611523e-07
-omegadot(Cr48): 3.268456246e-12
-omegadot(Fe52): 7.117832617e-18
-omegadot(Ni56): 1.223547062e-24
-number of steps taken: 260
+omegadot(He4): -12.39276033
+omegadot(C12): 10.64099566
+omegadot(O16): 0.01403204362
+omegadot(Ne20): 0.008129701233
+omegadot(Mg24): 0.02972369574
+omegadot(Si28): 1.113151728
+omegadot(S32): 0.5297014797
+omegadot(Ar36): 0.05641483161
+omegadot(Ca40): 0.0006109847027
+omegadot(Ti44): 2.004306621e-07
+omegadot(Cr48): 3.272104798e-12
+omegadot(Fe52): 7.12614193e-18
+omegadot(Ni56): 1.224720021e-24
+number of steps taken: 255
 AMReX (23.06-6-g1e1c433b401c) finalized
diff --git a/unit_test/test_rhs/ci-benchmarks/ignition_simple.out b/unit_test/test_rhs/ci-benchmarks/ignition_simple.out
index 62867d9c0b..6249285494 100644
--- a/unit_test/test_rhs/ci-benchmarks/ignition_simple.out
+++ b/unit_test/test_rhs/ci-benchmarks/ignition_simple.out
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  Edot                         1.4856487707e-52       1.0426954626e+28
  J_carbon-12_carbon-12            -41369549490      -2.6524790935e-69
  J_oxygen-16_carbon-12                       0                      0
- J_magnesium-24_carbon-12       2.6524790935e-69            41369549490
+ J_magnesium-24_carbon-12       1.3262395468e-69            20684774745
  J_E_carbon-12                1.7827785248e-50       2.7805212337e+29
  J_carbon-12_oxygen-16                       0                      0
  J_oxygen-16_oxygen-16                       0                      0
@@ -24,6 +24,6 @@
  J_E_magnesium-24                            0                      0
  J_carbon-12_E               -3.0258460306e-08       -5.079112025e-85
  J_oxygen-16_E                               0                      0
- J_magnesium-24_E                            0                      0
- J_E_E                                       0                      0
+ J_magnesium-24_E             2.5395560125e-85       1.5129230153e-08
+ J_E_E                        3.4137618146e-66        2.033725105e+11