diff --git a/python/sdist/amici/cxxcodeprinter.py b/python/sdist/amici/cxxcodeprinter.py
index b5b4ed809c..47290e69dc 100644
--- a/python/sdist/amici/cxxcodeprinter.py
+++ b/python/sdist/amici/cxxcodeprinter.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 import sympy as sp
 from sympy.codegen.rewriting import Optimization, optimize
 from sympy.printing.cxx import CXX11CodePrinter
+
+from .import_utils import RESERVED_SYMBOLS
 from sympy.utilities.iterables import numbered_symbols
 from toposort import toposort
 
@@ -50,6 +52,12 @@ def __init__(self):
         else:
             self._fpoptimizer = None
 
+    def _print_Symbol(self, expr: sp.Symbol) -> str:
+        name = super()._print_Symbol(expr)
+        if name in RESERVED_SYMBOLS and name != "t":
+            return f"amici_{name}"
+        return name
+
     def doprint(self, expr: sp.Expr, assign_to: str | None = None) -> str:
         if self._fpoptimizer:
             if isinstance(expr, list):
diff --git a/python/sdist/amici/de_export.py b/python/sdist/amici/de_export.py
index bf94a8e983..96bf63d7e7 100644
--- a/python/sdist/amici/de_export.py
+++ b/python/sdist/amici/de_export.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 from .de_model_components import *
 from .de_model import DEModel
 from .import_utils import (
+    RESERVED_SYMBOLS,
     strip_pysb,
 )
 from .logging import get_logger, log_execution_time, set_log_level
@@ -404,7 +405,12 @@ def _write_index_files(self, name: str) -> None:
                 continue
             if str(symbol_name) == "":
                 raise ValueError(f'{name} contains a symbol called ""')
-            lines.append(f"#define {symbol_name} {name}[{index}]")
+            sanitized_name = (
+                f"amici_{symbol_name}"
+                if str(symbol_name) in RESERVED_SYMBOLS
+                else str(symbol_name)
+            )
+            lines.append(f"#define {sanitized_name} {name}[{index}]")
             if name == "stau":
                 # we only need a single macro, as all entries have the same symbol
                 break
@@ -1243,7 +1249,7 @@ def _get_symbol_id_initializer_list(self, name: str) -> str:
             Template initializer list of ids
         """
         return "\n".join(
-            f'"{self._code_printer.doprint(symbol)}", // {name}[{idx}]'
+            f'"{strip_pysb(symbol)}", // {name}[{idx}]'
             for idx, symbol in enumerate(self.model.sym(name))
         )
 
diff --git a/python/sdist/amici/de_model_components.py b/python/sdist/amici/de_model_components.py
index 85af284716..866a46d9b4 100644
--- a/python/sdist/amici/de_model_components.py
+++ b/python/sdist/amici/de_model_components.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import sympy as sp
 
 from .import_utils import (
-    RESERVED_SYMBOLS,
     ObservableTransformation,
     amici_time_symbol,
     cast_to_sym,
@@ -66,12 +65,6 @@ def __init__(
                 f"identifier must be sympy.Symbol, was {type(identifier)}"
             )
 
-        if str(identifier) in RESERVED_SYMBOLS or (
-            hasattr(identifier, "name") and identifier.name in RESERVED_SYMBOLS
-        ):
-            raise ValueError(
-                f'Cannot add model quantity with name "{name}", please rename.'
-            )
         self._identifier: sp.Symbol = identifier
 
         if not isinstance(name, str):
diff --git a/python/sdist/amici/jax/jaxcodeprinter.py b/python/sdist/amici/jax/jaxcodeprinter.py
index b20697ef26..4ca7c927ff 100644
--- a/python/sdist/amici/jax/jaxcodeprinter.py
+++ b/python/sdist/amici/jax/jaxcodeprinter.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from logging import warning
 
+from ..import_utils import RESERVED_SYMBOLS
+
 import sympy as sp
 from sympy.printing.numpy import NumPyPrinter
 
@@ -17,6 +19,12 @@ def _jnp_array_str(array) -> str:
 class AmiciJaxCodePrinter(NumPyPrinter):
     """JAX code printer"""
 
+    def _print_Symbol(self, expr: sp.Symbol) -> str:
+        name = super()._print_Symbol(expr)
+        if name in RESERVED_SYMBOLS and name != "t":
+            return f"amici_{name}"
+        return name
+
     def doprint(self, expr: sp.Expr, assign_to: str | None = None) -> str:
         try:
             code = super().doprint(expr, assign_to)
diff --git a/python/sdist/amici/jax/ode_export.py b/python/sdist/amici/jax/ode_export.py
index 5c3ebd1456..8fbf3df3e8 100644
--- a/python/sdist/amici/jax/ode_export.py
+++ b/python/sdist/amici/jax/ode_export.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 from amici.de_export import is_valid_identifier
 from amici.import_utils import (
+    RESERVED_SYMBOLS,
     strip_pysb,
 )
 from amici.logging import get_logger, log_execution_time, set_log_level
@@ -40,13 +41,20 @@
 logger = get_logger(__name__, logging.ERROR)
 
 
+def _sanitize(name: str) -> str:
+    return (
+        f"amici_{name}" if name in RESERVED_SYMBOLS and name != "t" else name
+    )
+
+
 def _jax_variable_assignments(
     model: DEModel, sym_names: tuple[str, ...]
 ) -> dict:
     return {
-        f"{sym_name.upper()}_SYMS": "".join(
-            str(strip_pysb(s)) + ", " for s in model.sym(sym_name)
+        f"{sym_name.upper()}_SYMS": ", ".join(
+            _sanitize(str(strip_pysb(s))) for s in model.sym(sym_name)
         )
+        + ", "
         if model.sym(sym_name)
         else "_"
         for sym_name in sym_names
@@ -63,7 +71,7 @@ def _jax_variable_equations(
     return {
         f"{eq_name.upper()}_EQ": "\n".join(
             code_printer._get_sym_lines(
-                (str(strip_pysb(s)) for s in model.sym(eq_name)),
+                (_sanitize(str(strip_pysb(s))) for s in model.sym(eq_name)),
                 model.eq(eq_name).subs(subs),
                 indent,
             )
@@ -78,7 +86,7 @@ def _jax_return_variables(
 ) -> dict:
     return {
         f"{eq_name.upper()}_RET": _jnp_array_str(
-            strip_pysb(s) for s in model.sym(eq_name)
+            _sanitize(str(strip_pysb(s))) for s in model.sym(eq_name)
         )
         if model.sym(eq_name)
         else "jnp.array([])"
diff --git a/python/sdist/amici/sbml_import.py b/python/sdist/amici/sbml_import.py
index 131db1a041..6b392ce519 100644
--- a/python/sdist/amici/sbml_import.py
+++ b/python/sdist/amici/sbml_import.py
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@
 from .de_model_components import symbol_to_type, Expression
 from .sympy_utils import smart_is_zero_matrix, smart_multiply
 from .import_utils import (
-    RESERVED_SYMBOLS,
     _check_unsupported_functions,
     _get_str_symbol_identifiers,
     amici_time_symbol,
@@ -691,7 +690,6 @@ def _build_ode_model(
         )
         self._replace_compartments_with_volumes()
 
-        self._clean_reserved_symbols()
         self._process_time()
 
         ode_model = DEModel(
@@ -2783,24 +2781,6 @@ def _replace_in_all_expressions(
         for spline in self.splines:
             spline._replace_in_all_expressions(old, new)
 
-    def _clean_reserved_symbols(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Remove all reserved symbols from self.symbols
-        """
-        for sym in RESERVED_SYMBOLS:
-            old_symbol = symbol_with_assumptions(sym)
-            new_symbol = symbol_with_assumptions(f"amici_{sym}")
-            self._replace_in_all_expressions(
-                old_symbol, new_symbol, replace_identifiers=True
-            )
-            for symbols_ids, symbols in self.symbols.items():
-                if old_symbol in symbols:
-                    # reconstitute the whole dict in order to keep the ordering
-                    self.symbols[symbols_ids] = {
-                        new_symbol if k is old_symbol else k: v
-                        for k, v in symbols.items()
-                    }
-
     def _sympify(
         self,
         var_or_math: libsbml.SBase
diff --git a/python/tests/test_bngl.py b/python/tests/test_bngl.py
index 42926e379a..52ad6dc8a5 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_bngl.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_bngl.py
@@ -77,12 +77,7 @@ def test_compare_to_pysb_simulation(example):
             with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Conservation laws"):
                 bngl2amici(model_file, outdir, compute_conservation_laws=True)
 
-        if example in ["empty_compartments_block", "motor"]:
-            with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Cannot add"):
-                bngl2amici(model_file, outdir, **kwargs)
-            return
-        else:
-            bngl2amici(model_file, outdir, **kwargs)
+        bngl2amici(model_file, outdir, **kwargs)
 
         amici_model_module = amici.import_model_module(pysb_model.name, outdir)
 
diff --git a/tests/sbml/utils.py b/tests/sbml/utils.py
index cdc8153921..293cd2405e 100644
--- a/tests/sbml/utils.py
+++ b/tests/sbml/utils.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def verify_results(settings, rdata, expected, wrapper, model, atol, rtol):
             new_key = expr_id.removeprefix("flux_")
         else:
             new_key = expr_id
-            if expr_id.removeprefix("amici_") in simulated.columns:
+            if expr_id in simulated.columns:
                 continue  # skip if already present
         expression_data[new_key] = rdata.w[:, expr_idx]
 
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@ def verify_results(settings, rdata, expected, wrapper, model, atol, rtol):
         axis=1,
     )
 
-    # handle renamed reserved symbols
-    simulated.rename(
-        columns={c: c.replace("amici_", "") for c in simulated.columns},
-        inplace=True,
-    )
-
     # SBML test suite case 01308 defines species with initialAmount and
     # hasOnlySubstanceUnits="true", but then request results as concentrations.
     requested_concentrations = [
@@ -150,9 +144,9 @@ def concentrations_to_amounts(
         ) or comp is None:
             continue
 
-        simulated.loc[:, species] *= simulated.loc[
-            :, comp if comp in simulated.columns else f"amici_{comp}"
-        ]
+        if comp not in simulated.columns:
+            continue
+        simulated.loc[:, species] *= simulated.loc[:, comp]
 
 
 def write_result_file(