diff --git a/lib/interface_quda.cpp b/lib/interface_quda.cpp
index 456b8d2fae..584f908998 100644
--- a/lib/interface_quda.cpp
+++ b/lib/interface_quda.cpp
@@ -886,6 +886,12 @@ void invertQuda(void *hp_x, void *hp_b, QudaInvertParam *param)
 
 
   if (param->use_init_guess == QUDA_USE_INIT_GUESS_YES) { // download initial guess
+    // initial guess only supported for single-pass solvers
+    if ((param->solution_type == QUDA_MATDAG_MAT_SOLUTION || param->solution_type == QUDA_MATPCDAG_MATPC_SOLUTION) &&
+	(param->inv_type == QUDA_BICGSTAB_INVERTER || param->inv_type == QUDA_GCR_INVERTER)) {
+      errorQuda("Initial guess not supported for two-pass solver");
+    }
+
     x = new cudaColorSpinorField(*h_x, cudaParam); // solution  
   } else { // zero initial guess
     cudaParam.create = QUDA_ZERO_FIELD_CREATE;
@@ -917,6 +923,7 @@ void invertQuda(void *hp_x, void *hp_b, QudaInvertParam *param)
 
   switch (param->inv_type) {
   case QUDA_CG_INVERTER:
+    // prepare source if we are doing CGNR
     if (param->solution_type != QUDA_MATDAG_MAT_SOLUTION && param->solution_type != QUDA_MATPCDAG_MATPC_SOLUTION) {
       copyCuda(*out, *in);
       dirac.Mdag(*in, *out);
diff --git a/lib/inv_bicgstab_quda.cpp b/lib/inv_bicgstab_quda.cpp
index 6fd3695a4a..d5f3d425a0 100644
--- a/lib/inv_bicgstab_quda.cpp
+++ b/lib/inv_bicgstab_quda.cpp
@@ -73,25 +73,39 @@ void BiCGstab::operator()(cudaColorSpinorField &x, cudaColorSpinorField &b)
   cudaColorSpinorField &v = *vp;
   cudaColorSpinorField &tmp = *tmpp;
   cudaColorSpinorField &t = *tp;
-
   cudaColorSpinorField &w = *wp;
   cudaColorSpinorField &z = *zp;
 
   cudaColorSpinorField *x_sloppy, *r_sloppy, *r_0;
 
+  double b2; // norm sq of source
+  double r2; // norm sq of residual
+
+  // compute initial residual depending on whether we have an initial guess or not
+  if (invParam.use_init_guess == QUDA_USE_INIT_GUESS_YES) {
+    mat(r, x, y);
+    r2 = xmyNormCuda(b, r);
+    b2 = normCuda(b);
+    copyCuda(y, x);
+  } else {
+    copyCuda(r, b);
+    r2 = normCuda(b);
+    b2 = r2;
+  }
+
+  // set field aliasing according to whether we are doing mixed precision or not
   if (invParam.cuda_prec_sloppy == x.Precision()) {
     x_sloppy = &x;
     r_sloppy = &r;
     r_0 = &b;
     zeroCuda(*x_sloppy);
-    copyCuda(*r_sloppy, b);
   } else {
     ColorSpinorParam csParam(x);
     csParam.create = QUDA_ZERO_FIELD_CREATE;
     csParam.precision = invParam.cuda_prec_sloppy;
     x_sloppy = new cudaColorSpinorField(x, csParam);
     csParam.create = QUDA_COPY_FIELD_CREATE;
-    r_sloppy = new cudaColorSpinorField(b, csParam);
+    r_sloppy = new cudaColorSpinorField(r, csParam);
     r_0 = new cudaColorSpinorField(b, csParam);
   }
 
@@ -103,9 +117,6 @@ void BiCGstab::operator()(cudaColorSpinorField &x, cudaColorSpinorField &b)
   QudaInvertParam invert_param_inner = newQudaInvertParam();
   fillInnerInvertParam(invert_param_inner, invParam);
 
-  double b2 = normCuda(b);
-
-  double r2 = b2;
   double stop = b2*invParam.tol*invParam.tol; // stopping condition of solver
   double delta = invParam.reliable_delta;
 
diff --git a/lib/inv_gcr_quda.cpp b/lib/inv_gcr_quda.cpp
index 2515b4ef20..2a46b406d0 100644
--- a/lib/inv_gcr_quda.cpp
+++ b/lib/inv_gcr_quda.cpp
@@ -220,18 +220,18 @@ void GCR::operator()(cudaColorSpinorField &x, cudaColorSpinorField &b)
   for (int i=0; i<4; i++) parity += commCoords(i);
   parity = parity % 2;
 
-  // calculate initial residual
-  mat(r, x);
-  double r2 = xmyNormCuda(b, r);  
-  copyCuda(rSloppy, r);
-
-  quda::blas_flops = 0;
-
   cudaColorSpinorField rM(rSloppy);
   cudaColorSpinorField xM(rSloppy);
 
+  quda::blas_flops = 0;
+
   stopwatchStart();
 
+  // calculate initial residual
+  mat(r, x);
+  double r2 = xmyNormCuda(b, r);  
+  copyCuda(rSloppy, r);
+
   int total_iter = 0;
   int restart = 0;
   double r2_old = r2;
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ void GCR::operator()(cudaColorSpinorField &x, cudaColorSpinorField &b)
 
   }
 
-  copyCuda(x, y);
+  if (total_iter > 0) copyCuda(x, y);
 
   if (k>=invParam.maxiter && invParam.verbosity >= QUDA_SUMMARIZE) 
     warningQuda("Exceeded maximum iterations %d", invParam.maxiter);