diff --git a/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/file/rocksim/importt/PositionDependentHandler.java b/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/file/rocksim/importt/PositionDependentHandler.java
index 2cf4a6130..aea6bff32 100644
--- a/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/file/rocksim/importt/PositionDependentHandler.java
+++ b/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/file/rocksim/importt/PositionDependentHandler.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import net.sf.openrocket.aerodynamics.WarningSet;
 import net.sf.openrocket.file.DocumentLoadingContext;
 import net.sf.openrocket.file.rocksim.RocksimCommonConstants;
 import net.sf.openrocket.file.rocksim.RocksimLocationMode;
+import net.sf.openrocket.rocketcomponent.RadiusRingComponent;
 import net.sf.openrocket.rocketcomponent.RocketComponent;
 
 import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
@@ -83,10 +84,10 @@ public abstract class PositionDependentHandler<C extends RocketComponent> extend
 	 */
 	public static void setLocation(RocketComponent component, RocketComponent.Position position, double location) {
 		if (position.equals(RocketComponent.Position.BOTTOM)) {
-			component.setPositionValue(-1d * location);
+			component.setAxialOffset(-1d * location);
 		}
 		else {
-			component.setPositionValue(location);
+			component.setAxialOffset(location);
 		}
 	}
 	
diff --git a/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/rocketcomponent/RocketComponent.java b/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/rocketcomponent/RocketComponent.java
index 0bda63489..657e1e085 100644
--- a/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/rocketcomponent/RocketComponent.java
+++ b/core/src/net/sf/openrocket/rocketcomponent/RocketComponent.java
@@ -914,12 +914,14 @@ public abstract class RocketComponent implements ChangeSource, Cloneable, Iterab
 	 * @return double position of the component relative to the parent, with respect to <code>position</code>
 	 */
 	public double asPositionValue(Position thePosition) {
+		double relativeLength;
 		if (null == this.parent) {
-			return Double.NaN;
+			 relativeLength = 0;
+		}else{
+			relativeLength = this.parent.length;
 		}
 		
 		double thisX = this.position.x;
-		double relativeLength = this.parent.length;
 		double result = Double.NaN;
 		
 		switch (thePosition) {
@@ -1032,8 +1034,19 @@ public abstract class RocketComponent implements ChangeSource, Cloneable, Iterab
 		}
 		if (null == this.parent) {
 			// if this is the root of a hierarchy, constrain the position to zero.
+			if( this instanceof Rocket ){
+				this.offset =0;
+				this.position = Coordinate.ZERO;
+				return;
+			}
+			// debug vv
+			else if( this instanceof RingComponent ){
+				log.error("Attempting to set offset of a parent-less class :"+this.getName());
+			}
+			
 			this.offset = newOffset;
-			this.position= Coordinate.ZERO;
+			// best-effort approximation.  this should be corrected later on in the initialization process.
+			this.position= new Coordinate( newOffset, 0, 0); 
 			return;
 		}