diff --git a/channel.c b/channel.c
index d0f3a2dc4..850bcb4a1 100644
--- a/channel.c
+++ b/channel.c
@@ -207,60 +207,39 @@ ssize_t iio_snprintf_channel_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, "<channel id=\"%s\"", chn->id);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	if (ptr) {
-		ptr += ret;
-		len -= ret;
-	}
-	alen += ret;
+	iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 
 	if (chn->name) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, " name=\"%s\"", chn->name);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, " type=\"%s\" >", chn->is_output ? "output" : "input");
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	if (ptr) {
-		ptr += ret;
-		len -= ret;
-	}
-	alen += ret;
+	iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 
 	if (chn->is_scan_element) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf_scan_element_xml(ptr, len, chn);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < chn->nb_attrs; i++) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf_chan_attr_xml(ptr, len, &chn->attrs[i]);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, "</channel>");
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	alen += ret;
 
-	return alen;
+	return alen + ret;
 }
 
 const char * iio_channel_get_id(const struct iio_channel *chn)
diff --git a/context.c b/context.c
index 30398ff8b..d74f6a046 100644
--- a/context.c
+++ b/context.c
@@ -64,12 +64,7 @@ static ssize_t sanitize_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len, const char *str)
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
 
-		if (ptr) {
-			len -= ret;
-			ptr += ret;
-		}
-
-		count += ret;
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &count);
 	}
 
 	return count;
@@ -92,11 +87,7 @@ static ssize_t iio_snprintf_context_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	if (ptr) {
-		ptr += ret;
-		len -= ret;
-	}
-	alen += ret;
+	iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ctx->nb_attrs; i++) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len,
@@ -104,48 +95,33 @@ static ssize_t iio_snprintf_context_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 				   ctx->attrs[i]);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
 
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 		ret = sanitize_xml(ptr, len, ctx->values[i]);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
-
+		
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 		ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, "\" />");
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ctx->nb_devices; i++) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf_device_xml(ptr, len, ctx->devices[i]);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, "</context>");
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	alen += ret;
 
-	return alen;
+	return alen + ret;
 }
 
 /* Returns a string containing the XML representation of this context */
diff --git a/device.c b/device.c
index 15a767edf..1b0612412 100644
--- a/device.c
+++ b/device.c
@@ -38,52 +38,36 @@ ssize_t iio_snprintf_device_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, "<device id=\"%s\"", dev->id);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	if (ptr) {
-		ptr += ret;
-		len -= ret;
-	}
-	alen += ret;
 
+	iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	if (dev->name) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, " name=\"%s\"", dev->name);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+	
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	if (dev->label) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, " label=\"%s\"", dev->label);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, " >");
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	if (ptr) {
-		ptr += ret;
-		len -= ret;
-	}
-	alen += ret;
+	
+	iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dev->nb_channels; i++) {
 		ret = iio_snprintf_channel_xml(ptr, len, dev->channels[i]);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dev->attrs.num; i++) {
@@ -91,11 +75,8 @@ ssize_t iio_snprintf_device_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 					    IIO_ATTR_TYPE_DEVICE);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+		
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dev->buffer_attrs.num; i++) {
@@ -103,11 +84,8 @@ ssize_t iio_snprintf_device_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 					    IIO_ATTR_TYPE_BUFFER);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dev->debug_attrs.num; i++) {
@@ -115,19 +93,15 @@ ssize_t iio_snprintf_device_xml(char *ptr, ssize_t len,
 					    IIO_ATTR_TYPE_DEBUG);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		if (ptr) {
-			ptr += ret;
-			len -= ret;
-		}
-		alen += ret;
+
+		iio_update_xml_indexes(ret, &ptr, &len, &alen);
 	}
 
 	ret = iio_snprintf(ptr, len, "</device>");
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	alen += ret;
 
-	return alen;
+	return alen + ret;
 }
 
 int add_iio_dev_attr(struct iio_dev_attrs *attrs, const char *attr,
diff --git a/iio-private.h b/iio-private.h
index b5bbf93f3..3ab87d84c 100644
--- a/iio-private.h
+++ b/iio-private.h
@@ -271,4 +271,14 @@ int add_iio_dev_attr(struct iio_dev_attrs *attrs, const char *attr,
 
 ssize_t __iio_printf iio_snprintf(char *buf, size_t len, const char *fmt, ...);
 
+static inline void iio_update_xml_indexes(ssize_t ret, char **ptr, ssize_t *len,
+					  ssize_t *alen)
+{
+	if (*ptr) {
+		*ptr += ret;
+		*len -= ret;
+	}
+	*alen += ret;
+}
+
 #endif /* __IIO_PRIVATE_H__ */