diff --git a/Headers/Foundation/NSXMLNode.h b/Headers/Foundation/NSXMLNode.h
index 8a2102abf..51ef0ed90 100644
--- a/Headers/Foundation/NSXMLNode.h
+++ b/Headers/Foundation/NSXMLNode.h
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ typedef NSUInteger NSXMLNodeKind;
 // Output options
 //  NSXMLNodePrettyPrint
 
+/* This next class declaration is private for internal use by the base
+ * library developers ... it is present simply to make the compiler
+ * produce symbol information to be used when debugging.
+ */
+#if	defined(GSInternal)
+@class GSInternal;
+#endif
+
 /**
  * The most primitive unit in an XML document.
  */
@@ -89,10 +97,16 @@ typedef NSUInteger NSXMLNodeKind;
    * when we don't have the non-fragile ABI available.
    * Use this mechanism rather than changing the instance variable
    * layout (see Source/GSInternal.h for details).
-   * In this case it's declared protected so that the NSXMLNode
-   * subclasses can share the same variables.
+   * In this case, when compiled the variable is a protected class
+   * available so that the NSXMLNode subclasses within the base library
+   * can share the same variables, but when viewed from outside the
+   * base library itsself, it's an opaque pointer which must not be used.
    */
-  @protected id _internal GS_UNUSED_IVAR;
+#  if	defined(GSInternal)
+  @protected GSInternal *_internal GS_UNUSED_IVAR;
+#  else
+  @private id _internal GS_UNUSED_IVAR;
+#  endif
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/NSXMLDTD.m b/Source/NSXMLDTD.m
index 06217af9b..5d8d02a7d 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLDTD.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLDTD.m
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@
 
 #import "common.h"
 
-#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
-
 #define GSInternal              NSXMLDTDInternal
-#include        "GSInternal.h"
+#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
+#import "GSInternal.h"
 GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLDTD)
 
 @implementation NSXMLDTD
diff --git a/Source/NSXMLDTDNode.m b/Source/NSXMLDTDNode.m
index c1ecb9b1d..ad48b9ef5 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLDTDNode.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLDTDNode.m
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@
 
 #import "common.h"
 
-#import	"NSXMLPrivate.h"
-
 #define GSInternal              NSXMLDTDNodeInternal
-#include        "GSInternal.h"
+#import	"NSXMLPrivate.h"
+#import "GSInternal.h"
 GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLDTDNode)
 
 @implementation NSXMLDTDNode
diff --git a/Source/NSXMLDocument.m b/Source/NSXMLDocument.m
index 9ff22616a..2a9eb2330 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLDocument.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLDocument.m
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@
 
 #import "common.h"
 
-#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
-
 #define GSInternal              NSXMLDocumentInternal
-#include        "GSInternal.h"
+#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
+#import "GSInternal.h"
 GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLDocument)
 
 #import <Foundation/NSXMLParser.h>
diff --git a/Source/NSXMLElement.m b/Source/NSXMLElement.m
index 7291cccb0..eb493d5ef 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLElement.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLElement.m
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@
 
 #import "common.h"
 
-#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
-
 #define GSInternal              NSXMLElementInternal
-#include        "GSInternal.h"
+#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
+#import "GSInternal.h"
 GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLElement)
 
 @implementation NSXMLElement
diff --git a/Source/NSXMLNode.m b/Source/NSXMLNode.m
index 96ea7e399..f48555b67 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLNode.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLNode.m
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@
 
 #import "common.h"
 
-#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
-
 #define GSInternal              NSXMLNodeInternal
-#include        "GSInternal.h"
+#import "NSXMLPrivate.h"
+#import "GSInternal.h"
 GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLNode)