diff --git a/pentrc/inputs.f90 b/pentrc/inputs.f90
index d764fffd..053462f9 100644
--- a/pentrc/inputs.f90
+++ b/pentrc/inputs.f90
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ subroutine read_kin(file,zi,zimp,mi,mimp,nfac,tfac,wefac,wpfac,write_log,format)
         logical :: write_log
         character(*), intent(in), optional :: format
         ! declare local variables
-        logical :: warning_printed = .false.
         real(r8), dimension(:,:), allocatable :: table
         character(32), dimension(:), allocatable :: titles
 
@@ -209,7 +208,7 @@ subroutine read_kin(file,zi,zimp,mi,mimp,nfac,tfac,wefac,wpfac,write_log,format)
         integer :: i,out_unit, tshape(2), nq
         logical :: supplied
         real(r8) :: psi
-        real(r8), dimension(0:nkin) :: zeff,zpitch,welec,wdian,wdiat,wpefac
+        real(r8), dimension(0:nkin) :: zeff,zpitch,welec,wdian,wdiat
         real(r8), dimension(0:nkin,2) :: tkev
         real(r8), dimension(0:nkin,3) :: nu_supplied
         type(spline_type) :: tmp,tmp_nu
@@ -288,22 +287,11 @@ subroutine read_kin(file,zi,zimp,mi,mimp,nfac,tfac,wefac,wpfac,write_log,format)
 
         ! manipulation of rotation variables
         welec(:) = wefac*kin%fs(:,5) ! direct manipulation of omegae
-        ! note dividing by zero makes a nan that then ruins the whole spline
-        warning_printed = .false.
-        do i=0,nkin
-            if(welec(i) == 0) then
-                welec(i) = 1e-9
-                if(.not. warning_printed)then
-                    print *, "  ! WARNING ! Modifying omega_ExB = 0 to 1e-9 to avoid nans"
-                    warning_printed = .true.
-                end if
-            end if
-        end do
         if(wefac/=1.0 .and. verbose) print('(a55,es10.2e3)'),'  -> applying direct manipulation of omegaE by factor ',wefac
         wdian =-twopi*kin%fs(:,3)*kin%fs1(:,1)/(e*zi*chi1*kin%fs(:,1))
         wdiat =-twopi*kin%fs1(:,3)/(e*zi*chi1)
-        wpefac= (wpfac*(welec+wdian+wdiat) - (wdian+wdiat))/welec
-        welec = wpefac*welec   ! indirect manipulation of rotation
+        ! wpfac scales welec+wdian+wdiat without dividing by welec, so 0 stays 0
+        welec = welec + (wpfac-1)*(welec+wdian+wdiat)
         kin%fs(:,5)=welec
 
         if(wpfac/=1.0 .and. verbose) then
diff --git a/regression/test/pentrc_zero_omega_e.f90 b/regression/test/pentrc_zero_omega_e.f90
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98c91079
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regression/test/pentrc_zero_omega_e.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+! Usage: pentrc_zero_omega_e <kinetic profile file>
+! read_kin must keep the controls exact: wefac = 0 with wpfac = 1 gives
+! omega_E = 0 at every knot, and wpfac = 1 leaves wefac*omega_E unchanged.
+program pentrc_zero_omega_e
+    use params, only: r8
+    use inputs, only: read_kin, kin, chi1
+    use spline_mod, only: spline_dealloc
+    implicit none
+    character(512) :: file
+    real(r8), allocatable :: welec_full(:)
+
+    call get_command_argument(1, file)
+    chi1 = 1.0_r8
+
+    call read_kin(file, 1, 6, 2, 12, 1.0_r8, 1.0_r8, 1.0_r8, 1.0_r8, .false.)
+    welec_full = kin%fs(:, 5)
+    if (all(welec_full == 0)) error stop 'fixture has no rotation'
+
+    call spline_dealloc(kin)
+    call read_kin(file, 1, 6, 2, 12, 1.0_r8, 1.0_r8, 0.0_r8, 1.0_r8, .false.)
+    print '(a,es12.4)', 'max |omega_E| for wefac = 0: ', maxval(abs(kin%fs(:, 5)))
+    if (any(kin%fs(:, 5) /= 0)) error stop 'wefac = 0 does not give omega_E = 0'
+
+    call spline_dealloc(kin)
+    call read_kin(file, 1, 6, 2, 12, 1.0_r8, 1.0_r8, 0.5_r8, 1.0_r8, .false.)
+    if (any(kin%fs(:, 5) /= 0.5_r8*welec_full)) &
+        error stop 'wpfac = 1 changes omega_E'
+    print '(a)', 'PASS: exact omega_E controls'
+end program pentrc_zero_omega_e