Index: trunk/psModules/src/objects/pmModelUtils.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/psModules/src/objects/pmModelUtils.c	(revision 36287)
+++ trunk/psModules/src/objects/pmModelUtils.c	(revision 36375)
@@ -129,4 +129,8 @@
 bool pmModelAxesToParams (float *Sxx, float *Sxy, float *Syy, psEllipseAxes axes, bool useReff)  {
 
+    // restrict axex to 0.5 here not below 
+    if (axes.minor < 0.2) axes.minor = 0.2;
+    if (axes.major < 0.2) axes.major = 0.2;
+
     psEllipseShape shape = psEllipseAxesToShape (axes);
 
@@ -137,10 +141,14 @@
     // set the shape parameters
     if (useReff) {
-	*Sxx  = PS_MAX(0.5, shape.sx);
-	*Syy  = PS_MAX(0.5, shape.sy);
+	// *Sxx  = PS_MAX(0.5, shape.sx);
+	// *Syy  = PS_MAX(0.5, shape.sy);
+	*Sxx  = shape.sx;
+	*Syy  = shape.sy;
 	*Sxy  = shape.sxy * 2.0;
     } else {
-	*Sxx  = PS_MAX(0.5, M_SQRT2*shape.sx);
-	*Syy  = PS_MAX(0.5, M_SQRT2*shape.sy);
+	// *Sxx  = PS_MAX(0.5, M_SQRT2*shape.sx);
+	// *Syy  = PS_MAX(0.5, M_SQRT2*shape.sy);
+	*Sxx  = M_SQRT2*shape.sx;
+	*Syy  = M_SQRT2*shape.sy;
 	*Sxy  = shape.sxy;
     }
@@ -193,4 +201,5 @@
     if (!isfinite(axes.minor)) return false;
     if (!isfinite(axes.theta)) return false;
+    if (axes.major == 0) return false;
 
     // Mxx, Mxy, Myy define the elliptical shape, but Mrf defines the width