The extended pom-pom (XPP) model was first introduced to eradicate perceived deficiencies of the original pom-pom model such as the lack of a second normal stress difference and a discontinuity in the derivative of the extensional viscosity. However, in this paper it is shown that the XPP model itself possesses some disconcerting attributes. In simple steady shear and uniaxial extensional flow, multiple solutions are found. Furthermore, the extended pom-pom model can predict positive as well as negative values for the second normal stress difference. Experimentally, the second normal stress difference is negative for polymer melts. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.