diff --git a/nifty/energies/energy.py b/nifty/energies/energy.py
index a4ea61a84b85f461ce4e8c0044794fbea28eda8f..3cb70172917ab87e12ee4292b01ecb955fdd5b1d 100644
--- a/nifty/energies/energy.py
+++ b/nifty/energies/energy.py
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ class Energy(Loggable, object):
     def position(self):
         return self._position
 
-    @position.setter
-    def position(self, position):
-        self._position = position
-
     @property
     def value(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/nifty/minimization/__init__.py b/nifty/minimization/__init__.py
index 06a16780d110dd830d3411a6f61a9e4606a8eee8..83001f4911b1c9564d21cdb8a56860278ca7bc33 100644
--- a/nifty/minimization/__init__.py
+++ b/nifty/minimization/__init__.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 from line_searching import *
 from conjugate_gradient import ConjugateGradient
-from quasi_newton_minimizer import QuasiNewtonMinimizer
+from descent_minimizer import DescentMinimizer
 from steepest_descent import SteepestDescent
 from vl_bfgs import VL_BFGS
 from relaxed_newton import RelaxedNewton
diff --git a/nifty/minimization/quasi_newton_minimizer.py b/nifty/minimization/descent_minimizer.py
similarity index 99%
rename from nifty/minimization/quasi_newton_minimizer.py
rename to nifty/minimization/descent_minimizer.py
index be35294c53cc6bd4d820179cc34dadab252da47a..f544427a79e5851d244e88d055e0078da9ed0a74 100644
--- a/nifty/minimization/quasi_newton_minimizer.py
+++ b/nifty/minimization/descent_minimizer.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from keepers import Loggable
 from .line_searching import LineSearchStrongWolfe
 
 
-class QuasiNewtonMinimizer(Loggable, object):
+class DescentMinimizer(Loggable, object):
     __metaclass__ = NiftyMeta
 
     def __init__(self, line_searcher=LineSearchStrongWolfe(), callback=None,
diff --git a/nifty/minimization/line_searching/line_search_strong_wolfe.py b/nifty/minimization/line_searching/line_search_strong_wolfe.py
index 81ecb3e886a17a455ba94ba43c3e7fa3a2b5d78c..e6b94969003848a687e1d0191de106b829e8c80d 100644
--- a/nifty/minimization/line_searching/line_search_strong_wolfe.py
+++ b/nifty/minimization/line_searching/line_search_strong_wolfe.py
@@ -148,8 +148,9 @@ class LineSearchStrongWolfe(LineSearch):
 
         # extract the full energy from the line_energy
         energy_star = energy_star.energy
-
-        return alpha_star, phi_star, energy_star
+        direction_length = pk.norm()
+        step_length = alpha_star * direction_length
+        return step_length, phi_star, energy_star
 
     def _zoom(self, alpha_lo, alpha_hi, phi_0, phiprime_0,
               phi_lo, phiprime_lo, phi_hi, c1, c2):
diff --git a/nifty/minimization/relaxed_newton.py b/nifty/minimization/relaxed_newton.py
index 0d7d9bf7aba5f7f1ec1e8b1086b7c853b718bc8e..467029317bba8a780627db6bad8d57858370c2a2 100644
--- a/nifty/minimization/relaxed_newton.py
+++ b/nifty/minimization/relaxed_newton.py
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-from .quasi_newton_minimizer import QuasiNewtonMinimizer
+from .descent_minimizer import DescentMinimizer
 from .line_searching import LineSearchStrongWolfe
 
 
-class RelaxedNewton(QuasiNewtonMinimizer):
+class RelaxedNewton(DescentMinimizer):
     def __init__(self, line_searcher=LineSearchStrongWolfe(), callback=None,
                  convergence_tolerance=1E-4, convergence_level=3,
                  iteration_limit=None):
@@ -38,8 +38,3 @@ class RelaxedNewton(QuasiNewtonMinimizer):
         curvature = energy.curvature
         descend_direction = curvature.inverse_times(gradient)
         return descend_direction * -1
-        #norm = descend_direction.norm()
-#        if norm != 1:
-#            return descend_direction / -norm
-#        else:
-#            return descend_direction * -1
diff --git a/nifty/minimization/steepest_descent.py b/nifty/minimization/steepest_descent.py
index 87d8ef4cd4d88f5ce7751da61eeff8c5136e023b..ba125a9c5c0089cd4e017dca9a133b67c39fe73e 100644
--- a/nifty/minimization/steepest_descent.py
+++ b/nifty/minimization/steepest_descent.py
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-from .quasi_newton_minimizer import QuasiNewtonMinimizer
+from .descent_minimizer import DescentMinimizer
 
 
-class SteepestDescent(QuasiNewtonMinimizer):
+class SteepestDescent(DescentMinimizer):
     def _get_descend_direction(self, energy):
         descend_direction = energy.gradient
         norm = descend_direction.norm()
diff --git a/nifty/minimization/vl_bfgs.py b/nifty/minimization/vl_bfgs.py
index db47d5797c04c66d94e89110f1ffc32ade6a176f..2e55af98facb11707a0df44083e8091d7c9bf755 100644
--- a/nifty/minimization/vl_bfgs.py
+++ b/nifty/minimization/vl_bfgs.py
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 
-from .quasi_newton_minimizer import QuasiNewtonMinimizer
+from .descent_minimizer import DescentMinimizer
 from .line_searching import LineSearchStrongWolfe
 
 
-class VL_BFGS(QuasiNewtonMinimizer):
+class VL_BFGS(DescentMinimizer):
     def __init__(self, line_searcher=LineSearchStrongWolfe(), callback=None,
                  convergence_tolerance=1E-4, convergence_level=3,
                  iteration_limit=None, max_history_length=10):