diff --git a/src/zabapgit_page_db.prog.abap b/src/zabapgit_page_db.prog.abap
index 0d9054d9b..a9a059f38 100644
--- a/src/zabapgit_page_db.prog.abap
+++ b/src/zabapgit_page_db.prog.abap
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ CLASS lcl_gui_page_db_display IMPLEMENTATION.
     ls_action-type  = ms_key-type.
     ls_action-value = ms_key-value.
     lv_action       = lcl_html_action_utils=>dbkey_encode( ls_action ).
-    lv_data         = lcl_xml_pretty=>print( lv_data ).
-    lv_data         = lo_highlighter->process_line( lv_data ).
+    lv_data         = lo_highlighter->process_line( lcl_xml_pretty=>print( lv_data ) ).
 
     CREATE OBJECT ro_html.
 
@@ -107,9 +106,7 @@ CLASS lcl_gui_page_db_edit IMPLEMENTATION.
       iv_type  = ms_key-type
       iv_value = ms_key-value ).
 
-    lv_data = lcl_xml_pretty=>print( lv_data ).
-
-    lv_data = escape( val    = lv_data
+    lv_data = escape( val    = lcl_xml_pretty=>print( lv_data )
                       format = cl_abap_format=>e_html_attr ).
 
     CREATE OBJECT ro_html.
diff --git a/src/zabapgit_persistence.prog.abap b/src/zabapgit_persistence.prog.abap
index af4d6a437..09e9cca02 100644
--- a/src/zabapgit_persistence.prog.abap
+++ b/src/zabapgit_persistence.prog.abap
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ CLASS lcl_persistence_db DEFINITION FINAL CREATE PRIVATE FRIENDS lcl_app.
         RAISING   lcx_exception.
 
   PRIVATE SECTION.
-    METHODS: validate_xml
-      IMPORTING iv_xml TYPE string
+    METHODS: validate_and_unprettify_xml
+      IMPORTING iv_xml        TYPE string
+      RETURNING VALUE(rv_xml) TYPE string
       RAISING   lcx_exception.
 
 ENDCLASS.
@@ -831,29 +832,32 @@ CLASS lcl_persistence_db IMPLEMENTATION.
 
   ENDMETHOD.
 
-  METHOD validate_xml.
+  METHOD validate_and_unprettify_xml.
 
-    lcl_xml_pretty=>print(
+    rv_xml = lcl_xml_pretty=>print(
       iv_xml           = iv_xml
+      iv_unpretty      = abap_true
       iv_ignore_errors = abap_false ).
 
-  ENDMETHOD.
+  ENDMETHOD.  " validate_and_unprettify_xml
 
   METHOD update.
 
-    validate_xml( iv_data ).
+    DATA lv_data LIKE iv_data.
+
+    lv_data = validate_and_unprettify_xml( iv_data ).
 
     lock( iv_type  = iv_type
           iv_value = iv_value ).
 
-    UPDATE (c_tabname) SET data_str = iv_data
-      WHERE type = iv_type
-      AND value = iv_value.
+    UPDATE (c_tabname) SET data_str = lv_data
+      WHERE type  = iv_type
+      AND   value = iv_value.
     IF sy-subrc <> 0.
       lcx_exception=>raise( 'DB update failed' ).
     ENDIF.
 
-  ENDMETHOD.
+  ENDMETHOD.  "update
 
   METHOD modify.
 
diff --git a/src/zabapgit_xml.prog.abap b/src/zabapgit_xml.prog.abap
index 824505338..ca8675d17 100644
--- a/src/zabapgit_xml.prog.abap
+++ b/src/zabapgit_xml.prog.abap
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ CLASS lcl_xml_pretty DEFINITION FINAL.
     CLASS-METHODS: print
       IMPORTING iv_xml           TYPE string
                 iv_ignore_errors TYPE abap_bool DEFAULT abap_true
+                iv_unpretty      TYPE abap_bool DEFAULT abap_false
       RETURNING VALUE(rv_xml)    TYPE string
       RAISING   lcx_exception.
 
@@ -378,14 +379,14 @@ CLASS lcl_xml_pretty IMPLEMENTATION.
 
     ASSERT NOT iv_xml IS INITIAL.
 
-    li_ixml = cl_ixml=>create( ).
+    li_ixml    = cl_ixml=>create( ).
     li_xml_doc = li_ixml->create_document( ).
 
     li_stream_factory = li_ixml->create_stream_factory( ).
-    li_istream = li_stream_factory->create_istream_string( iv_xml ).
-    li_parser = li_ixml->create_parser( stream_factory = li_stream_factory
-                                        istream        = li_istream
-                                        document       = li_xml_doc ).
+    li_istream        = li_stream_factory->create_istream_string( iv_xml ).
+    li_parser         = li_ixml->create_parser( stream_factory = li_stream_factory
+                                                istream        = li_istream
+                                                document       = li_xml_doc ).
     li_parser->set_normalizing( abap_true ).
     IF li_parser->parse( ) <> 0.
       IF iv_ignore_errors = abap_true.
@@ -398,12 +399,12 @@ CLASS lcl_xml_pretty IMPLEMENTATION.
     li_istream->close( ).
 
 
-    li_ostream = li_stream_factory->create_ostream_cstring( rv_xml ).
+    li_ostream  = li_stream_factory->create_ostream_cstring( rv_xml ).
 
     li_renderer = li_ixml->create_renderer( ostream  = li_ostream
                                             document = li_xml_doc ).
 
-    li_renderer->set_normalizing( abap_true ).
+    li_renderer->set_normalizing( boolc( iv_unpretty = abap_false ) ).
 
     li_renderer->render( ).