diff --git a/obt/parse.c b/obt/parse.c
index 61fe5b82..741b19e1 100644
--- a/obt/parse.c
+++ b/obt/parse.c
@@ -304,6 +304,11 @@ void obt_parse_tree(ObtParseInst *i, xmlNodePtr node)
     }
 }
 
+void obt_parse_tree_from_root(ObtParseInst *i)
+{
+    obt_parse_tree(i, i->root->children);
+}
+
 gchar *obt_parse_node_string(xmlNodePtr node)
 {
     xmlChar *c = xmlNodeGetContent(node);
diff --git a/obt/parse.h b/obt/parse.h
index 3a541a0d..cba7c495 100644
--- a/obt/parse.h
+++ b/obt/parse.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ void obt_parse_close(ObtParseInst *inst);
 void obt_parse_register(ObtParseInst *inst, const gchar *tag,
                         ObtParseCallback func, gpointer data);
 void obt_parse_tree(ObtParseInst *i, xmlNodePtr node);
+void obt_parse_tree_from_root(ObtParseInst *i);
 
 
 /* helpers */
diff --git a/openbox/menu.c b/openbox/menu.c
index 97af104e..f6d19d01 100644
--- a/openbox/menu.c
+++ b/openbox/menu.c
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ void menu_startup(gboolean reconfig)
                                        "openbox_menu"))
         {
             loaded = TRUE;
-            obt_parse_tree(menu_parse_inst,
-                           obt_parse_instance_root(menu_parse_inst)->children);
+            obt_parse_tree_from_root(menu_parse_inst);
             obt_parse_close(menu_parse_inst);
         } else
             g_message(_("Unable to find a valid menu file '%s'"),
@@ -107,8 +106,7 @@ void menu_startup(gboolean reconfig)
                                        "menu.xml",
                                        "openbox_menu"))
         {
-            obt_parse_tree(menu_parse_inst,
-                           obt_parse_instance_root(menu_parse_inst)->children);
+            obt_parse_tree_from_root(menu_parse_inst);
             obt_parse_close(menu_parse_inst);
         } else
             g_message(_("Unable to find a valid menu file '%s'"),
diff --git a/openbox/openbox.c b/openbox/openbox.c
index 2cab7e27..92d0bbf6 100644
--- a/openbox/openbox.c
+++ b/openbox/openbox.c
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ gint main(gint argc, gchar **argv)
                 if (obt_parse_load_config_file(i, "openbox", "rc.xml",
                                                "openbox_config"))
                 {
-                    obt_parse_tree(i, obt_parse_instance_root(i)->children);
+                    obt_parse_tree_from_root(i);
                     obt_parse_close(i);
                 } else
                     g_message(_("Unable to find a valid config file, using some simple defaults"));