diff --git a/applications/test/momentOfInertia/Test-momentOfInertia.C b/applications/test/momentOfInertia/Test-momentOfInertia.C
index b5e67de4aa..87111b3541 100644
--- a/applications/test/momentOfInertia/Test-momentOfInertia.C
+++ b/applications/test/momentOfInertia/Test-momentOfInertia.C
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         J = f.inertia(pts, Cf, density);
 
-        vector eVal = eigenValues(J);
+        vector eVal = eigenValues(symm(J));
 
-        tensor eVec = eigenVectors(J);
+        tensor eVec = eigenVectors(symm(J));
 
         Info<< nl << "Inertia tensor of test face " << J << nl
             << "eigenValues (principal moments) " << eVal << nl
@@ -148,9 +148,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         momentOfInertia::massPropertiesSolid(pts, tetFaces, density, m, cM, J);
 
-        vector eVal = eigenValues(J);
+        vector eVal = eigenValues(symm(J));
 
-        tensor eVec = eigenVectors(J);
+        tensor eVec = eigenVectors(symm(J));
 
         Info<< nl
             << "Mass of tetrahedron " << m << nl
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         tensor& J = mI[celli];
 
-        vector eVal = eigenValues(J);
+        vector eVal = eigenValues(symm(J));
 
         Info<< nl
             << "Inertia tensor of cell " << celli << " " << J << nl
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         J /= cmptMax(eVal);
 
-        tensor eVec = eigenVectors(J);
+        tensor eVec = eigenVectors(symm(J));
 
         Info<< "eigenVectors (principal axes, from normalised inertia) " << eVec
             << endl;
diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceInertia/surfaceInertia.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceInertia/surfaceInertia.C
index c0593f3041..44c5e9ffad 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceInertia/surfaceInertia.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceInertia/surfaceInertia.C
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             << "Negative mass detected, the surface may be inside-out." << endl;
     }
 
-    vector eVal = eigenValues(J);
+    vector eVal = eigenValues(symm(J));
 
-    tensor eVec = eigenVectors(J);
+    tensor eVec = eigenVectors(symm(J));
 
     label pertI = 0;
 
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         J.yy() *= 1.0 + SMALL*rand.sample01<scalar>();
         J.zz() *= 1.0 + SMALL*rand.sample01<scalar>();
 
-        eVal = eigenValues(J);
+        eVal = eigenValues(symm(J));
 
-        eVec = eigenVectors(J);
+        eVec = eigenVectors(symm(J));
 
         pertI++;
     }