diff --git a/virtinst/cli.py b/virtinst/cli.py
index 0681fe779..c6a39121e 100644
--- a/virtinst/cli.py
+++ b/virtinst/cli.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from .buildconfig import BuildConfig
 from .connection import VirtinstConnection
 from .devices import (Device, DeviceController, DeviceDisk, DeviceGraphics,
         DeviceInterface, DevicePanic)
+from .guest import Guest
 from .logger import log, reset_logging
 from .nodedev import NodeDevice
 from .osdict import OSDB
@@ -438,6 +439,50 @@ def get_meter():
     return virtinst.progress.make_meter(quiet=quiet)
 
 
+def get_xmldesc(domain, inactive=False):
+    flags = libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_XML_SECURE
+    if inactive:
+        flags |= libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INACTIVE
+    return domain.XMLDesc(flags)
+
+
+def get_domain_and_guest(conn, domstr):
+    try:
+        int(domstr)
+        isint = True
+    except ValueError:
+        isint = False
+
+    uuidre = "[a-fA-F0-9]{8}[-]([a-fA-F0-9]{4}[-]){3}[a-fA-F0-9]{12}$"
+    isuuid = bool(re.match(uuidre, domstr))
+
+    try:
+        domain = None
+        try:
+            domain = conn.lookupByName(domstr)
+        except Exception:
+            # In case the VM has a UUID or ID for a name
+            log.debug("Error looking up domain by name", exc_info=True)
+            if isint:
+                domain = conn.lookupByID(int(domstr))
+            elif isuuid:
+                domain = conn.lookupByUUIDString(domstr)
+            else:
+                raise
+    except libvirt.libvirtError as e:
+        fail(_("Could not find domain '%s': %s") % (domstr, e))
+
+    state = domain.info()[0]
+    active_xmlobj = None
+    inactive_xmlobj = Guest(conn, parsexml=get_xmldesc(domain))
+    if state != libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTOFF:
+        active_xmlobj = inactive_xmlobj
+        inactive_xmlobj = Guest(conn,
+                parsexml=get_xmldesc(domain, inactive=True))
+
+    return (domain, inactive_xmlobj, active_xmlobj)
+
+
 ###########################
 # bash completion helpers #
 ###########################
diff --git a/virtinst/virtxml.py b/virtinst/virtxml.py
index 437ebdb50..18de72329 100644
--- a/virtinst/virtxml.py
+++ b/virtinst/virtxml.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 # See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
 
 import difflib
-import re
 import sys
 
 import libvirt
@@ -59,52 +58,8 @@ def set_os_variant(options, guest):
         guest.set_os_name(osdata.name)
 
 
-def get_xmldesc(domain, inactive=False):
-    flags = libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_XML_SECURE
-    if inactive:
-        flags |= libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INACTIVE
-    return domain.XMLDesc(flags)
-
-
-def get_domain_and_guest(conn, domstr):
-    try:
-        int(domstr)
-        isint = True
-    except ValueError:
-        isint = False
-
-    uuidre = "[a-fA-F0-9]{8}[-]([a-fA-F0-9]{4}[-]){3}[a-fA-F0-9]{12}$"
-    isuuid = bool(re.match(uuidre, domstr))
-
-    try:
-        domain = None
-        try:
-            domain = conn.lookupByName(domstr)
-        except Exception:
-            # In case the VM has a UUID or ID for a name
-            log.debug("Error looking up domain by name", exc_info=True)
-            if isint:
-                domain = conn.lookupByID(int(domstr))
-            elif isuuid:
-                domain = conn.lookupByUUIDString(domstr)
-            else:
-                raise
-    except libvirt.libvirtError as e:
-        fail(_("Could not find domain '%s': %s") % (domstr, e))
-
-    state = domain.info()[0]
-    active_xmlobj = None
-    inactive_xmlobj = Guest(conn, parsexml=get_xmldesc(domain))
-    if state != libvirt.VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTOFF:
-        active_xmlobj = inactive_xmlobj
-        inactive_xmlobj = Guest(conn,
-                parsexml=get_xmldesc(domain, inactive=True))
-
-    return (domain, inactive_xmlobj, active_xmlobj)
-
-
 def defined_xml_is_unchanged(conn, domain, original_xml):
-    rawxml = get_xmldesc(domain, inactive=True)
+    rawxml = cli.get_xmldesc(domain, inactive=True)
     new_xml = Guest(conn, parsexml=rawxml).get_xml()
     return new_xml == original_xml
 
@@ -498,7 +453,7 @@ def main(conn=None):
     active_xmlobj = None
     inactive_xmlobj = None
     if options.domain:
-        domain, inactive_xmlobj, active_xmlobj = get_domain_and_guest(
+        domain, inactive_xmlobj, active_xmlobj = cli.get_domain_and_guest(
             conn, options.domain)
     else:
         inactive_xmlobj = Guest(conn, parsexml=options.stdinxml)