diff --git a/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c b/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c
index 0b60faa1f2..06f10d0519 100644
--- a/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c
+++ b/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c
@@ -66,20 +66,17 @@ static void rxml_free_node(struct rxml_node *node)
    {
       struct rxml_attrib_node *next_attrib = NULL;
 
-      if (!attrib_node_head)
-         continue;
-
       next_attrib = (struct rxml_attrib_node*)attrib_node_head->next;
 
-      if (!next_attrib)
-         continue;
-
-      if (attrib_node_head->attrib)
-         free(attrib_node_head->attrib);
-      if (attrib_node_head->value)
-         free(attrib_node_head->value);
-      if (attrib_node_head)
-         free(attrib_node_head);
+      if (next_attrib)
+      {
+         if (attrib_node_head->attrib)
+            free(attrib_node_head->attrib);
+         if (attrib_node_head->value)
+            free(attrib_node_head->value);
+         if (attrib_node_head)
+            free(attrib_node_head);
+      }
 
       attrib_node_head = next_attrib;
    }
@@ -420,8 +417,6 @@ rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document(const char *path)
 {
    rxml_document_t *doc;
    char *memory_buffer     = NULL;
-   char *new_memory_buffer = NULL;
-   const char *mem_ptr     = NULL;
    long len                = 0;
    RFILE *file             = filestream_open(path,
          RETRO_VFS_FILE_ACCESS_READ,
@@ -429,10 +424,6 @@ rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document(const char *path)
    if (!file)
       return NULL;
 
-   doc = (rxml_document_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(*doc));
-   if (!doc)
-      goto error;
-
    len           = filestream_get_size(file);
    memory_buffer = (char*)malloc(len + 1);
    if (!memory_buffer)
@@ -445,17 +436,38 @@ rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document(const char *path)
    filestream_close(file);
    file = NULL;
 
-   mem_ptr = memory_buffer;
+   doc = rxml_load_document_string(memory_buffer);
+
+   free(memory_buffer);
+   return doc;
+
+error:
+   free(memory_buffer);
+   if(file)
+      filestream_close(file);
+   return NULL;
+}
+
+rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document_string(const char *str)
+{
+   rxml_document_t *doc;
+   char *memory_buffer = NULL;
+   const char *mem_ptr = NULL;
+
+   doc = (rxml_document_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(*doc));
+   if (!doc)
+      goto error;
+
+   mem_ptr = str;
 
    if (!validate_header(&mem_ptr))
       goto error;
 
-   new_memory_buffer = purge_xml_comments(mem_ptr);
-   if (!new_memory_buffer)
+   memory_buffer = purge_xml_comments(mem_ptr);
+   if (!memory_buffer)
       goto error;
 
-   free(memory_buffer);
-   mem_ptr = memory_buffer = new_memory_buffer;
+   mem_ptr = memory_buffer;
 
    doc->root_node = rxml_parse_node(&mem_ptr);
    if (!doc->root_node)
@@ -466,7 +478,6 @@ rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document(const char *path)
 
 error:
    free(memory_buffer);
-   filestream_close(file);
    rxml_free_document(doc);
    return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/formats/rxml.h b/libretro-common/include/formats/rxml.h
index 200a27917b..06255524b7 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/formats/rxml.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/formats/rxml.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ struct rxml_attrib_node
    struct rxml_attrib_node *next;
 };
 
-struct rxml_node
+typedef struct rxml_node
 {
    char *name;
    char *data;
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ struct rxml_node
 
    struct rxml_node *children;
    struct rxml_node *next;
-};
+} rxml_node_t;
 
 rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document(const char *path);
+rxml_document_t *rxml_load_document_string(const char *str);
 void rxml_free_document(rxml_document_t *doc);
 
 struct rxml_node *rxml_root_node(rxml_document_t *doc);