diff --git a/src/kernel/equipment.c b/src/kernel/equipment.c
index 11fe594f5..bbd049938 100644
--- a/src/kernel/equipment.c
+++ b/src/kernel/equipment.c
@@ -214,19 +214,26 @@ equipment *get_equipment(const char *eqname)
     return eq;
 }
 
+equipment *create_equipment(const char *eqname)
+{
+    equipment *eq;
+    size_t len;
+    char data[64];
+
+    eq = (equipment *)calloc(1, sizeof(equipment));
+    eq->name = strdup(eqname);
+
+    len = cb_new_kv(eqname, strlen(eqname), &eq, sizeof(eq), data);
+    assert(len <= sizeof(data));
+    cb_insert(&cb_equipments, data, len);
+    return eq;
+}
+
 equipment *get_or_create_equipment(const char *eqname)
 {
     equipment *eq = get_equipment(eqname);
     if (!eq) {
-        size_t len;
-        char data[64];
-
-        eq = (equipment *)calloc(1, sizeof(equipment));
-        eq->name = strdup(eqname);
-
-        len = cb_new_kv(eqname, strlen(eqname), &eq, sizeof(eq), data);
-        assert(len <= sizeof(data));
-        cb_insert(&cb_equipments, data, len);
+        return create_equipment(eqname);
     }
     return eq;
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/equipment.h b/src/kernel/equipment.h
index 928182dfb..bc479662d 100644
--- a/src/kernel/equipment.h
+++ b/src/kernel/equipment.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
     struct equipment *get_or_create_equipment(const char *eqname);
     struct equipment *get_equipment(const char *eqname);
+    struct equipment *create_equipment(const char *eqname);
 
     void equipment_setitem(struct equipment *eq,
         const struct item_type *itype, const char *value);
diff --git a/src/kernel/messages.h b/src/kernel/messages.h
index 4eca65fc1..58558072d 100644
--- a/src/kernel/messages.h
+++ b/src/kernel/messages.h
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ extern "C" {
         int level;
     } msglevel;
 
-    extern struct message *msg_message(const char *name, const char *sig, ...);
-    extern struct message *msg_feedback(const struct unit *, struct order *cmd,
+    struct message *msg_message(const char *name, const char *sig, ...);
+    struct message *msg_feedback(const struct unit *, struct order *cmd,
         const char *name, const char *sig, ...);
-    extern struct message *add_message(struct message_list **pm,
+    struct message *add_message(struct message_list **pm,
     struct message *m);
     void addmessage(struct region *r, struct faction *f, const char *s,
         msg_t mtype, int level);
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index 2ef54b005..57ad5ffad 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1069,9 +1069,13 @@ static int parse_equipment(xmlDocPtr doc)
             xmlChar *propName = xmlGetProp(node, BAD_CAST "name");
 
             if (propName != NULL) {
-                equipment *eq = get_or_create_equipment((const char *)propName);
+                equipment *eq = get_equipment((const char *)propName);
                 xmlXPathObjectPtr xpathResult;
 
+                if (!eq) {
+                    eq = create_equipment((const char *)propName);
+                }
+
                 xpath->node = node;
 
                 xpathResult = xmlXPathEvalExpression(BAD_CAST "callback", xpath);