diff --git a/examples/imex/imex.py b/examples/imex/imex.py
index a7752347f859826ccc6cf4c5dd7e9e5eeee0d976..16ca2303d4d3133dbadf8dd5569964dbb1883517 100644
--- a/examples/imex/imex.py
+++ b/examples/imex/imex.py
@@ -70,15 +70,16 @@ def solver(f, j, t, u_n, x, c):
 
 
 def solver_hook(solve_expr, solve_var, solver_id, guess):
-    from dagrt.expression import match
-    from leap.implicit import make_solver_call
+    from dagrt.expression import match, substitute
 
     pieces = match("unk - <func>rhs(t=t, y=<state>y + sub_y + coeff*unk)",
                    solve_expr,
                    bound_variable_names=["<state>y"],
                    pre_match={"unk": solve_var})
 
-    return make_solver_call("<func>solver(t, <state>y, sub_y, coeff)", pieces)
+    pieces["guess"] = guess
+
+    return substitute("<func>solver(t, <state>y, sub_y, coeff)", pieces)
 
 
 def run():
diff --git a/examples/implicit_euler/test_implicit_euler.py b/examples/implicit_euler/test_implicit_euler.py
index 203c6ce22452b65d3ff6176ab90813c801b728ac..ad7da16cab126ddad76d4a2130ae9decd71741ef 100755
--- a/examples/implicit_euler/test_implicit_euler.py
+++ b/examples/implicit_euler/test_implicit_euler.py
@@ -48,11 +48,10 @@ def solver(f, t, h, y, guess):
 
 
 def solver_hook(expr, var, solver_id, guess):
-    from dagrt.expression import match
-    from leap.implicit import make_solver_call
+    from dagrt.expression import match, substitute
     pieces = match("unk-y-h*<func>f(t=t,y=unk)", expr, pre_match={"unk": var})
-    return make_solver_call("<func>solver(t,h,y,guess)",
-                            pieces, guess, guess_name="guess")
+    pieces["guess"] = guess
+    return substitute("<func>solver(t,h,y,guess)", pieces)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("python_method_impl",
diff --git a/leap/implicit.py b/leap/implicit.py
index 1ebfd7966eaf09f20a23a836dc222ff821dcf08d..02e98f1d727b5f98f6cc0814e0fce153381c4ee2 100644
--- a/leap/implicit.py
+++ b/leap/implicit.py
@@ -26,26 +26,9 @@ OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 THE SOFTWARE.
 """
 
-
 import six
 
 
-def make_solver_call(template, pieces, guess=None, guess_name=None):
-    """
-    :arg template: A template for a solver call
-    :arg pieces: A dictionary mapping variable names to subexpressions, to
-                 substitute into the template
-    :arg guess: The expression for the initial guess
-    :arg guess_name: The variable name for the initial guess
-    """
-    if isinstance(template, str):
-        from dagrt.expression import parse
-        template = parse(template)
-    from pymbolic import substitute
-    pieces.update({guess_name: guess})
-    return substitute(template, pieces)
-
-
 def replace_AssignSolved(dag, solver_hooks):
     """
     :arg dag: The :class:`DAGCode` instance
diff --git a/test/test_imex.py b/test/test_imex.py
index 19a0a0e436d2dd6f08df8be5ecc411898e25ad22..f8533516810bf5dfcf85c11d7546d42c11917ec3 100755
--- a/test/test_imex.py
+++ b/test/test_imex.py
@@ -42,14 +42,12 @@ def solver(f, t, sub_y, coeff, guess):
 
 
 def solver_hook(solve_expr, solve_var, solver_id, guess):
-    from dagrt.expression import match
-    from leap.implicit import make_solver_call
+    from dagrt.expression import match, substitute
 
     pieces = match("unk - <func>rhs(t=t, y=sub_y + coeff*unk)", solve_expr,
                    pre_match={"unk": solve_var})
-    return make_solver_call("<func>solver(t, sub_y, coeff, guess)",
-                            pieces,
-                            guess, guess_name="guess")
+    pieces["guess"] = guess
+    return substitute("<func>solver(t, sub_y, coeff, guess)", pieces)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("problem, method, expected_order", [