diff --git a/SeQuant/core/eval/eval_node.hpp b/SeQuant/core/eval/eval_node.hpp
index 2be333062a..2e645820c1 100644
--- a/SeQuant/core/eval/eval_node.hpp
+++ b/SeQuant/core/eval/eval_node.hpp
@@ -114,9 +114,16 @@ struct Flops {
     if (n->op_type() == EvalOp::Product  //
         && n.left()->is_tensor()         //
         && n.right()->is_tensor()) {
-      auto const idx_count = ContractedIndexCount{n};
-      auto c = AsyCost{idx_count.unique_occs(), idx_count.unique_virts()};
-      return idx_count.is_outerpod() ? c : 2 * c;
+      if (n->is_tensor()) {
+        auto const idx_count = ContractedIndexCount{n};
+        auto c = AsyCost{idx_count.unique_occs(), idx_count.unique_virts()};
+        return idx_count.is_outerpod() ? c : 2 * c;
+      } else {  // full contraction to scalar
+        SEQUANT_ASSERT(n->is_scalar());
+        SEQUANT_ASSERT(occ_virt(n.left()->as_tensor()) ==
+                       occ_virt(n.right()->as_tensor()));
+        return 2 * AsyCost{occ_virt(n.left()->as_tensor())};
+      }
     } else if (n->is_tensor()) {
       // scalar times a tensor
       // or a tensor plus a tensor
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_eval_node.cpp b/tests/unit/test_eval_node.cpp
index 84b8290a93..4b742d36a8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_eval_node.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/test_eval_node.cpp
@@ -276,6 +276,13 @@ TEST_CASE("eval_node", "[EvalNode]") {
     auto const np3 = eval_node(p3);
     REQUIRE(asy_cost(np3) == AsyCost{2, 2, 1} + AsyCost{2, 3, 1});
 
+    // full contraction to scalar: cc energy-like expression
+    auto const p_e = parse_expr_antisymm(
+        L"f_{i1}^{a1} * t_{a1}^{i1} + g_{i1,i2}^{a1,a2} * t_{a1,a2}^{i1,i2}");
+    auto const n_e = eval_node(p_e);
+    REQUIRE(n_e->is_scalar());
+    REQUIRE(asy_cost(n_e) == 2 * AsyCost{2, 2} + 2 * AsyCost{1, 1});
+
 #if 0
     auto const s1 =
         parse_expr(L"I{i1,i2;a1,a2} + I{i1,i2;a1,a2}", Symmetry::Symm);