diff --git a/Source/NSXMLDocument.m b/Source/NSXMLDocument.m
index a89c95fc4..d7e4cd3ab 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLDocument.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLDocument.m
@@ -219,8 +219,12 @@ GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLDocument)
   [children release];
   internal->rootElement = (NSXMLElement*)root;
 */
+  xmlElementPtr newrootnode;
+  NSAssert(root != nil, NSInvalidArgumentException);
   // Set 
   xmlDocSetRootElement(MY_DOC,[root _node]);
+  newrootnode = MY_DOC->children;
+  newrootnode->_private = root; // hmmm, this probably isn't where this belongs, but try it...
 }
 
 - (void) setStandalone: (BOOL)standalone
diff --git a/Source/NSXMLNode.m b/Source/NSXMLNode.m
index c5698927c..e69cf85e1 100644
--- a/Source/NSXMLNode.m
+++ b/Source/NSXMLNode.m
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLNode)
   xmlNodePtr   node = (xmlNodePtr)[self _node];
   xmlChar      *buf = NULL;
   xmlDocPtr    doc = node->doc;
-  xmlBufferPtr buffer = NULL;
+  xmlBufferPtr buffer = xmlBufferCreate(); //NULL;
   int error = 0;
   int len = 0;
 
@@ -621,6 +621,7 @@ GS_PRIVATE_INTERNAL(NSXMLNode)
   buf = buffer->content;
   len = buffer->size;
   string = StringFromXMLString(buf,len);
+  xmlBufferFree(buffer);
   AUTORELEASE(string);
 
   return string;