diff --git a/lib/common/common_helper.rb b/lib/common/common_helper.rb
index b6518e2d..62200cb1 100644
--- a/lib/common/common_helper.rb
+++ b/lib/common/common_helper.rb
@@ -147,3 +147,9 @@ def get_metasploit_url(module_path)
   module_path = module_path.sub(/^\//, '')
   "http://www.metasploit.com/modules/#{module_path}"
 end
+
+def xml(file)
+  Nokogiri::XML(File.open(file)) do |config|
+    config.noblanks
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/common/hacks.rb b/lib/common/hacks.rb
index 0a2dcda7..f4e069bc 100644
--- a/lib/common/hacks.rb
+++ b/lib/common/hacks.rb
@@ -1,14 +1,5 @@
 # encoding: UTF-8
 
-# Default option changed from DEFAULT_XML to NOBLANKS
-module Nokogiri
-  class << self
-    def XML thing, url = nil, encoding = nil, options = XML::ParseOptions::NOBLANKS, &block
-      Nokogiri::XML::Document.parse(thing, url, encoding, options, &block)
-    end
-  end
-end
-
 # Since ruby 1.9.2, URI::escape is obsolete
 # See http://rosettacode.org/wiki/URL_encoding#Ruby and http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/207489
 if RUBY_VERSION >= '1.9.2'
diff --git a/lib/wpscan/vulnerable.rb b/lib/wpscan/vulnerable.rb
index 71a9c05c..53a5623a 100644
--- a/lib/wpscan/vulnerable.rb
+++ b/lib/wpscan/vulnerable.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class Vulnerable
 
   # @return an array of WpVulnerability (can be empty)
   def vulnerabilities
-    xml             = Nokogiri::XML(File.open(@vulns_file))
+    xml             = xml(@vulns_file)
     vulnerabilities = []
 
     xml.xpath(@vulns_xpath).each do |node|
diff --git a/lib/wpscan/wp_enumerator.rb b/lib/wpscan/wp_enumerator.rb
index 32fc2b24..ef1e7a2b 100644
--- a/lib/wpscan/wp_enumerator.rb
+++ b/lib/wpscan/wp_enumerator.rb
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class WpEnumerator
 
     # Timthumbs have no XML file
     unless type =~ /timthumbs/i
-      xml = Nokogiri::XML(File.open(vulns_file))
+      xml = xml(vulns_file)
 
       # We check if the plugin name from the plugin_vulns_file is already in targets, otherwise we add it
       xml.xpath(options[:vulns_xpath_2]).each do |node|
diff --git a/lib/wpscan/wp_version.rb b/lib/wpscan/wp_version.rb
index 535c93f2..bb6e5163 100644
--- a/lib/wpscan/wp_version.rb
+++ b/lib/wpscan/wp_version.rb
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class WpVersion < Vulnerable
     version_xml = options[:version_xml] || WP_VERSIONS_FILE # needed for rpsec
     wp_content  = options[:wp_content_dir]
     wp_plugins  = "#{wp_content}/plugins"
-    xml         = Nokogiri::XML(File.open(version_xml))
+    xml         = xml(version_xml)
 
     xml.xpath('//file').each do |node|
       file_src = node.attribute('src').text
diff --git a/lib/wpstools/plugins/checker/checker_plugin.rb b/lib/wpstools/plugins/checker/checker_plugin.rb
index 1112b08c..4c9c9361 100644
--- a/lib/wpstools/plugins/checker/checker_plugin.rb
+++ b/lib/wpstools/plugins/checker/checker_plugin.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class CheckerPlugin < Plugin
     puts '[+] Checking vulnerabilities reference urls'
 
     vuln_ref_files.each do |vuln_ref_file|
-      xml = Nokogiri::XML(File.open(vuln_ref_file))
+      xml = xml(vuln_ref_file)
 
       urls = []
       xml.xpath('//reference').each { |node| urls << node.text }
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class CheckerPlugin < Plugin
 
       puts '[+] Checking for vulnerable files ...'
 
-      xml = Nokogiri::XML(File.open(xml_file))
+      xml = xml(xml_file)
 
       xml.xpath('//hash').each do |node|
         sha1sum = node.attribute('sha1').text
diff --git a/lib/wpstools/plugins/stats/stats_plugin.rb b/lib/wpstools/plugins/stats/stats_plugin.rb
index 4244fe88..038da70c 100644
--- a/lib/wpstools/plugins/stats/stats_plugin.rb
+++ b/lib/wpstools/plugins/stats/stats_plugin.rb
@@ -44,24 +44,20 @@ class StatsPlugin < Plugin
     end
   end
 
-  def xml(file)
-    Nokogiri::XML(File.open(file))
-  end
-
   def vuln_plugin_count(file=PLUGINS_VULNS_FILE)
-    self.xml(file).xpath("count(//plugin)").to_i
+    xml(file).xpath("count(//plugin)").to_i
   end
 
   def vuln_theme_count(file=THEMES_VULNS_FILE)
-    self.xml(file).xpath("count(//theme)").to_i
+    xml(file).xpath("count(//theme)").to_i
   end
 
   def plugin_vulns_count(file=PLUGINS_VULNS_FILE)
-    self.xml(file).xpath("count(//vulnerability)").to_i
+    xml(file).xpath("count(//vulnerability)").to_i
   end
 
   def theme_vulns_count(file=THEMES_VULNS_FILE)
-    self.xml(file).xpath("count(//vulnerability)").to_i
+    xml(file).xpath("count(//vulnerability)").to_i
   end
 
   def total_plugins(file=PLUGINS_FULL_FILE, xml=PLUGINS_VULNS_FILE)