diff --git a/src/htsmsg.c b/src/htsmsg.c
index dab63ee0..5dd67e3a 100644
--- a/src/htsmsg.c
+++ b/src/htsmsg.c
@@ -316,6 +316,16 @@ htsmsg_get_s64(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, int64_t *s64p)
   return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ *
+ */
+int64_t
+htsmsg_get_s64_or_default(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, int64_t def)
+{
+  int64_t s64;
+  return htsmsg_get_s64(msg, name, &s64) ? def : s64;
+}
+
 /**
  *
  */
@@ -363,15 +373,13 @@ htsmsg_get_u32(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, uint32_t *u32p)
 /**
  *
  */
-int
+uint32_t
 htsmsg_get_u32_or_default(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, uint32_t def)
 {
   uint32_t u32;
-    return htsmsg_get_u32(msg, name, &u32) ? def : u32;
+  return htsmsg_get_u32(msg, name, &u32) ? def : u32;
 }
 
-
-
 /*
  *
  */
@@ -449,6 +457,13 @@ htsmsg_get_str(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name)
 
 }
 
+const char *
+htsmsg_get_str_or_default(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, const char *def)
+{
+  const char *str = htsmsg_get_str(msg, name);
+  return str ?: def;
+}
+
 /*
  *
  */
diff --git a/src/htsmsg.h b/src/htsmsg.h
index f74092ac..d7d2bb05 100644
--- a/src/htsmsg.h
+++ b/src/htsmsg.h
@@ -160,6 +160,15 @@ void htsmsg_add_binptr(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, const void *bin,
  */
 int htsmsg_get_u32(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, uint32_t *u32p);
 
+/**
+ * Return the field \p name as an u32.
+ *
+ * @return An unsigned 32 bit integer or def if the field can not be found
+ *         or if conversion is not possible.
+ */
+uint32_t htsmsg_get_u32_or_default
+  (htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, uint32_t def);
+
 /**
  * Get an integer as an signed 32 bit integer.
  *
@@ -178,6 +187,16 @@ int htsmsg_get_s32(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name,  int32_t *s32p);
  */
 int htsmsg_get_s64(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name,  int64_t *s64p);
 
+
+/**
+ * Return the field \p name as an s64.
+ *
+ * @return A signed 64 bit integer or def if the field can not be found
+ *         or if conversion is not possible.
+ */
+int64_t htsmsg_get_s64_or_default
+  (htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, int64_t def);
+
 /**
  * Get an integer as an unsigned 64 bit integer.
  *
@@ -217,6 +236,15 @@ htsmsg_t *htsmsg_get_list(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name);
  */
 const char *htsmsg_get_str(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name);
 
+/**
+ * Get a field of type 'string'. No copying is done.
+ *
+ * @return def if the field can not be found or not of string type.
+ *         Otherwise a pointer to the data is returned.
+ */
+const char *htsmsg_get_str_or_default
+  (htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, const char *def);
+
 /**
  * Get a field of type 'map'. No copying is done.
  *
@@ -236,14 +264,6 @@ htsmsg_t *htsmsg_get_map_multi(htsmsg_t *msg, ...);
  */
 const char *htsmsg_field_get_string(htsmsg_field_t *f);
 
-/**
- * Return the field \p name as an u32.
- *
- * @return An unsigned 32 bit integer or NULL if the field can not be found
- *         or if conversion is not possible.
- */
-int htsmsg_get_u32_or_default(htsmsg_t *msg, const char *name, uint32_t def);
-
 /**
  * Remove the given field called \p name from the message \p msg.
  */
diff --git a/src/htsmsg_xml.c b/src/htsmsg_xml.c
index 0dc40332..e8272763 100644
--- a/src/htsmsg_xml.c
+++ b/src/htsmsg_xml.c
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ const char *
 htsmsg_xml_get_attr_str ( htsmsg_t *tag, const char *name )
 {
   htsmsg_t *attr = htsmsg_get_map(tag, "attrib");
-  if (attr) return htsmsg_get_str(tag, name);
+  if (attr) return htsmsg_get_str(attr, name);
   return NULL;
 }