diff --git a/include/openmc/math_functions.h b/include/openmc/math_functions.h
index fc801813b3..a6654dd058 100644
--- a/include/openmc/math_functions.h
+++ b/include/openmc/math_functions.h
@@ -185,9 +185,9 @@ extern "C" double normal_variate(double mean, double std_dev);
 //!  
 //! modifyable parameters
 //!
-//! @param e0 peak neutron energy [ev]
+//! @param e0 peak neutron energy [eV]
 //! @param m_rat ratio of the fusion reactants to AMU
-//! @param kt the ion temperature of the reactants [ev]
+//! @param kt the ion temperature of the reactants [eV]
 //! @result The sampled outgoing energy
 //==============================================================================
 
diff --git a/src/distribution.cpp b/src/distribution.cpp
index c74d286808..8b77d86b83 100644
--- a/src/distribution.cpp
+++ b/src/distribution.cpp
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ UPtrDist distribution_from_xml(pugi::xml_node node)
     dist = UPtrDist{new Maxwell(node)};
   } else if (type == "watt") {
     dist = UPtrDist{new Watt(node)};
-  } else if (type == "gaussian") {
+  } else if (type == "normal") {
     dist = UPtrDist{new Normal(node)};
   } else if (type == "muir") {
     dist = UPtrDist{new Muir(node)};
diff --git a/src/math_functions.cpp b/src/math_functions.cpp
index 4c675927b6..849fa06778 100644
--- a/src/math_functions.cpp
+++ b/src/math_functions.cpp
@@ -677,11 +677,8 @@ double maxwell_spectrum(double T) {
 double normal_variate(double mean, double standard_deviation) {
   // perhaps there should be a limit to the number of resamples
   while ( true ) {
-    double v1 = 0.;
-    double v2 = 0.;
-
-    v1 = 2 * prn() - 1.;
-    v2 = 2 * prn() - 1.;
+    double v1 = 2 * prn() - 1.;
+    double v2 = 2 * prn() - 1.;
     
     double r = std::pow(v1, 2) + std::pow(v2, 2);
     double r2 = std::pow(r, 2);
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_math.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_math.py
index c891d97e3e..5b8af979af 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_math.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_math.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ def test_normal_dist():
     ref_val = 14.08
     test_val = openmc.capi.math.normal_variate(a, b)
 
-    assert ref_val == test_val
+    assert ref_val == pytest.approx(test_val)
 
     settings.seed = 1
     a = 14.08
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def test_normal_dist():
     ref_val = 16.436645416691427
     test_val = openmc.capi.math.normal_variate(a, b)
 
-    assert ref_val == test_val
+    assert ref_val == pytest.approx(test_val)
 
 
 def test_broaden_wmp_polynomials():