Crucially, this extension of the excitation manifold cures the topology problem around conical intersections involving any of the states of the target multiplicity, because the appropriate double excitation to couple is included in the excitation manifold. Problems with symmetry-required (Jahn-Teller) degeneracy are mitigated, and the warped topography around such intersections is avoided (see Fig. ), because both of the quasi-degenerate electronic states are treated on the same footing and emerge as solutions to a common eigenvalue problem. Convergence problems around such regions of near-degeneracy are mitigated as well.