diff --git a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/LookupProviderImpl.java b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/LookupProviderImpl.java
--- a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/LookupProviderImpl.java
+++ b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/LookupProviderImpl.java
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 import org.openide.util.Lookup;
 import org.openide.util.lookup.Lookups;
 import org.openide.util.lookup.ProxyLookup;
+import org.openide.xml.XMLUtil;
 import org.w3c.dom.Comment;
 import org.w3c.dom.Document;
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
@@ -288,7 +289,7 @@
             if (web == null) {
                 return null;
             }
-            List<Element> webModules = Util.findSubElements(web);
+            List<Element> webModules = XMLUtil.findSubElements(web);
             List<FileObject> roots = new ArrayList<FileObject>();
             for (Element webModulesEl : webModules) {
                 assert webModulesEl.getLocalName().equals("web-module") : webModulesEl; // NOI18N
@@ -298,8 +299,8 @@
         }
         
         private File getFile(Element parent, String fileElName, Project proj, PropertyEvaluator evaluator) {
-            Element el = Util.findElement(parent, fileElName, WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
-            return Util.resolveFile(evaluator, FileUtil.toFile(proj.getProjectDirectory()), Util.findText(el));
+            Element el = XMLUtil.findElement(parent, fileElName, WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
+            return Util.resolveFile(evaluator, FileUtil.toFile(proj.getProjectDirectory()), XMLUtil.findText(el));
         }
         
     }
diff --git a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebFreeFormActionProvider.java b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebFreeFormActionProvider.java
--- a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebFreeFormActionProvider.java
+++ b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebFreeFormActionProvider.java
@@ -266,21 +266,21 @@
         // See corresponding schema.
         
         Element data = Util.getPrimaryConfigurationData(helper);
-        Element properties = Util.findElement(data, "properties", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+        Element properties = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "properties", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
         if (properties != null) {
-            Iterator/*<Element>*/ propertiesIt = Util.findSubElements(properties).iterator();
+            Iterator<Element> propertiesIt = XMLUtil.findSubElements(properties).iterator();
             while (propertiesIt.hasNext()) {
                 Element el = (Element) propertiesIt.next();
                 Element nue = script.getOwnerDocument().createElement("property"); // NOI18N
                 if (el.getLocalName().equals("property")) { // NOI18N
                     String name = el.getAttribute("name"); // NOI18N
                     assert name != null;
-                    String text = Util.findText(el);
+                    String text = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                     assert text != null;
                     nue.setAttribute("name", name); // NOI18N
                     nue.setAttribute("value", text); // NOI18N
                 } else if (el.getLocalName().equals("property-file")) { // NOI18N
-                    String text = Util.findText(el);
+                    String text = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                     assert text != null;
                     nue.setAttribute("file", text); // NOI18N
                 } else {
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@
         // XXX cannot use FreeformProjectGenerator since that is currently not a public support SPI from ant/freeform
         // XXX should this try to find an existing binding? probably not, since it is assumed that if there was one, we would never get here to begin with
         Element data = Util.getPrimaryConfigurationData(helper);
-        Element ideActions = Util.findElement(data, "ide-actions", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+        Element ideActions = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "ide-actions", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
         if (ideActions == null) {
             // Probably won't happen, since generator produces it always.
             // Not trivial to just add it now, since order is significant in the schema. (FPG deals with these things.)
@@ -506,9 +506,9 @@
         } else {
             // Add a context menu item, since it applies to the project as a whole.
             // Assume there is already a <context-menu> defined, which is quite likely.
-            Element view = Util.findElement(data, "view", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+            Element view = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "view", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
             if (view != null) {
-                Element contextMenu = Util.findElement(view, "context-menu", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+                Element contextMenu = XMLUtil.findElement(view, "context-menu", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
                 if (contextMenu != null) {
                     Element ideAction = doc.createElementNS(Util.NAMESPACE, "ide-action"); // NOI18N
                     ideAction.setAttribute("name", command); // NOI18N
@@ -684,17 +684,17 @@
     private String findSourceFolders(String type) {
         StringBuffer result = new StringBuffer();
         Element data = Util.getPrimaryConfigurationData(helper);
-        Element foldersEl = Util.findElement(data, "folders", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+        Element foldersEl = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "folders", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
         if (foldersEl != null) {
-            for (Iterator i = Util.findSubElements(foldersEl).iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
+            for (Iterator i = XMLUtil.findSubElements(foldersEl).iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
                 Element sourceFolderEl = (Element)i.next();
-                Element typeEl = Util.findElement(sourceFolderEl , "type", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
-                if (typeEl == null || !Util.findText(typeEl).equals(type))
+                Element typeEl = XMLUtil.findElement(sourceFolderEl , "type", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+                if (typeEl == null || !XMLUtil.findText(typeEl).equals(type))
                     continue;
-                Element locationEl = Util.findElement(sourceFolderEl , "location", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+                Element locationEl = XMLUtil.findElement(sourceFolderEl , "location", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
                 if (locationEl == null)
                     continue;
-                String location = Util.findText(locationEl);
+                String location = XMLUtil.findText(locationEl);
                 if (result.length() > 0)
                     result.append(":"); // NOI18N
                 result.append(location);
@@ -705,13 +705,13 @@
     
     private String findContextPath() {
         Element data = aux.getConfigurationFragment(WebProjectNature.EL_WEB, WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2, true); // NOI18N
-        Element webModulEl = Util.findElement(data, "web-module", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2); // NOI18N
+        Element webModulEl = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "web-module", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2); // NOI18N
         if (webModulEl == null)
             return null;
-        Element contextPathEl = Util.findElement(webModulEl, "context-path", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2); // NOI18N
+        Element contextPathEl = XMLUtil.findElement(webModulEl, "context-path", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2); // NOI18N
         if (contextPathEl == null)
             return null;
-        return Util.findText(contextPathEl);
+        return XMLUtil.findText(contextPathEl);
     }
     
 }
diff --git a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebModules.java b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebModules.java
--- a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebModules.java
+++ b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebModules.java
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@
 import org.netbeans.api.project.ProjectManager;
 import org.netbeans.api.project.ProjectUtils;
 import org.netbeans.api.project.SourceGroup;
-import org.netbeans.modules.ant.freeform.spi.support.Util;
 import org.netbeans.modules.j2ee.dd.spi.MetadataUnit;
 import org.netbeans.modules.j2ee.dd.spi.web.WebAppMetadataModelFactory;
 import org.netbeans.modules.web.api.webmodule.WebModule;
@@ -85,6 +84,7 @@
 import org.netbeans.spi.project.support.ant.PropertyEvaluator;
 import org.netbeans.spi.project.support.ant.PropertyUtils;
 import org.openide.util.Mutex;
+import org.openide.xml.XMLUtil;
 
 /**
  * Web module implementation on top of freeform project.
@@ -171,21 +171,21 @@
         if (web == null) {
             return mods;
         }
-        List/*<Element>*/ webModules = Util.findSubElements(web);
+        List<Element> webModules = XMLUtil.findSubElements(web);
         Iterator it = webModules.iterator();
         while (it.hasNext()) {
             Element webModulesEl = (Element)it.next();
             assert webModulesEl.getLocalName().equals("web-module") : webModulesEl;
             FileObject docRootFO = getFile (webModulesEl, "doc-root"); //NOI18N
-            Element j2eeSpecEl = Util.findElement (webModulesEl, "j2ee-spec-level", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
-            String j2eeSpec = j2eeSpecEl == null ? null : evaluator.evaluate (Util.findText (j2eeSpecEl));
-            Element contextPathEl = Util.findElement (webModulesEl, "context-path", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
-            String contextPathText = contextPathEl == null ? null : Util.findText (contextPathEl);
+            Element j2eeSpecEl = XMLUtil.findElement (webModulesEl, "j2ee-spec-level", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
+            String j2eeSpec = j2eeSpecEl == null ? null : evaluator.evaluate (XMLUtil.findText (j2eeSpecEl));
+            Element contextPathEl = XMLUtil.findElement (webModulesEl, "context-path", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
+            String contextPathText = contextPathEl == null ? null : XMLUtil.findText (contextPathEl);
             String contextPath = contextPathText == null ? null : evaluator.evaluate (contextPathText);
-            Element classpathEl = Util.findElement (webModulesEl, "classpath", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
+            Element classpathEl = XMLUtil.findElement (webModulesEl, "classpath", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
             FileObject [] sources = getSources ();
             ClassPath cp = classpathEl == null ? null : createClasspath (classpathEl, sources);
-            Element webInfEl = Util.findElement (webModulesEl, "web-inf", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
+            Element webInfEl = XMLUtil.findElement (webModulesEl, "web-inf", WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
             FileObject webInf = null;
             if (webInfEl != null) {
                 webInf = getFile (webModulesEl, "web-inf"); //NOI18N
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@
     }
     
     private FileObject getFile (Element parent, String fileElName) {
-        Element el = Util.findElement (parent, fileElName, WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
-        String fname = Util.findText (el);
+        Element el = XMLUtil.findElement (parent, fileElName, WebProjectNature.NS_WEB_2);
+        String fname = XMLUtil.findText (el);
         if (fname == null) {
             // empty element => cannot find fileobject
             return null;
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@
      */
     private ClassPath createClasspath(Element classpathEl, FileObject[] sources) {
 //        System.out.println("creating classpath for " + classpathEl);
-        String cp = Util.findText(classpathEl);
+        String cp = XMLUtil.findText(classpathEl);
         if (cp == null) {
             cp = "";
         }
diff --git a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebProjectGenerator.java b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebProjectGenerator.java
--- a/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebProjectGenerator.java
+++ b/web.freeform/src/org/netbeans/modules/web/freeform/WebProjectGenerator.java
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 import org.netbeans.modules.web.api.webmodule.WebProjectConstants;
 import org.netbeans.spi.project.AuxiliaryConfiguration;
 import org.netbeans.spi.project.support.ant.AntProjectHelper;
-import org.openide.filesystems.FileObject;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
+import org.openide.xml.XMLUtil;
 import org.w3c.dom.Document;
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 import org.w3c.dom.Node;
@@ -102,40 +102,40 @@
 
         Element data = Util.getPrimaryConfigurationData(helper);
         Document doc = data.getOwnerDocument();
-        Element foldersEl = Util.findElement(data, "folders", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+        Element foldersEl = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "folders", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
         if (foldersEl == null) {
             foldersEl = doc.createElementNS(Util.NAMESPACE, "folders"); // NOI18N
-            Util.appendChildElement(data, foldersEl, rootElementsOrder);
+            XMLUtil.appendChildElement(data, foldersEl, rootElementsOrder);
         } else {
-            List l = Util.findSubElements(foldersEl);
+            List l = XMLUtil.findSubElements(foldersEl);
             for (int i = 0; i < l.size(); i++) {
                 Element e = (Element) l.get(i);
-                Element te = Util.findElement(e, "type", Util.NAMESPACE);
-                if (te != null && Util.findText(te).equals(folderType)) {
+                Element te = XMLUtil.findElement(e, "type", Util.NAMESPACE);
+                if (te != null && XMLUtil.findText(te).equals(folderType)) {
                     foldersEl.removeChild(e);
                     break;
                 }
             }
         }
         
-        Element viewEl = Util.findElement(data, "view", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+        Element viewEl = XMLUtil.findElement(data, "view", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
         if (viewEl == null) {
             viewEl = doc.createElementNS(Util.NAMESPACE, "view"); // NOI18N
-            Util.appendChildElement(data, viewEl, rootElementsOrder);
+            XMLUtil.appendChildElement(data, viewEl, rootElementsOrder);
         }
-        Element itemsEl = Util.findElement(viewEl, "items", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
+        Element itemsEl = XMLUtil.findElement(viewEl, "items", Util.NAMESPACE); // NOI18N
         if (itemsEl == null) {
             itemsEl = doc.createElementNS(Util.NAMESPACE, "items"); // NOI18N
-            Util.appendChildElement(viewEl, itemsEl, viewElementsOrder);
+            XMLUtil.appendChildElement(viewEl, itemsEl, viewElementsOrder);
         } else {
-            List l = Util.findSubElements(itemsEl);
+            List l = XMLUtil.findSubElements(itemsEl);
             for (int i = 0; i < l.size(); i++) {
                 Element e = (Element) l.get(i);
                 if (e.hasAttribute("style")) {
                     if (e.getAttribute("style").equals("tree")) {
                         // #110173
-                        Element labelElement = Util.findElement(e, "label", Util.NAMESPACE);
-                        if (labelElement != null && label.equals(Util.findText(labelElement))) {
+                        Element labelElement = XMLUtil.findElement(e, "label", Util.NAMESPACE);
+                        if (labelElement != null && label.equals(XMLUtil.findText(labelElement))) {
                             itemsEl.removeChild(e);
                             break;
                         }
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
             el = doc.createElementNS(Util.NAMESPACE, "location"); // NOI18N
             el.appendChild(doc.createTextNode(path));
             sourceFolderEl.appendChild(el);
-            Util.appendChildElement(foldersEl, sourceFolderEl, folderElementsOrder);
+            XMLUtil.appendChildElement(foldersEl, sourceFolderEl, folderElementsOrder);
             
             sourceFolderEl = doc.createElementNS(Util.NAMESPACE, "source-folder"); // NOI18N
             sourceFolderEl.setAttribute("style", "tree"); // NOI18N
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
                     insertWebInfElement(itemsEl, firstNode, sourceFolderEl);
                 }
             } else {
-                Util.appendChildElement(itemsEl, sourceFolderEl, viewItemElementsOrder);
+                XMLUtil.appendChildElement(itemsEl, sourceFolderEl, viewItemElementsOrder);
             }
         }
         Util.putPrimaryConfigurationData(helper, data);
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@
         if (secondNode != null) {
             itemsEl.insertBefore(sourceFolderEl, secondNode);
         } else {
-            Util.appendChildElement(itemsEl, sourceFolderEl, viewItemElementsOrder);
+            XMLUtil.appendChildElement(itemsEl, sourceFolderEl, viewItemElementsOrder);
         }
     }
     
@@ -213,32 +213,32 @@
                 return list;
             }
         }
-        List<Element> wms = Util.findSubElements(data);
+        List<Element> wms = XMLUtil.findSubElements(data);
         Iterator<Element> it = wms.iterator();
         while (it.hasNext()) {
             Element wmEl = it.next();
             WebModule wm = new WebModule();
-            Iterator it2 = Util.findSubElements(wmEl).iterator();
+            Iterator it2 = XMLUtil.findSubElements(wmEl).iterator();
             while (it2.hasNext()) {
                 Element el = (Element)it2.next();
                 if (el.getLocalName().equals("doc-root")) { // NOI18N
-                    wm.docRoot = Util.findText(el);
+                    wm.docRoot = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (el.getLocalName().equals("classpath")) { // NOI18N
-                    wm.classpath = Util.findText(el);
+                    wm.classpath = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (el.getLocalName().equals("context-path")) { // NOI18N
-                    wm.contextPath = Util.findText(el);
+                    wm.contextPath = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (el.getLocalName().equals("j2ee-spec-level")) { // NOI18N
-                    wm.j2eeSpecLevel = Util.findText(el);
+                    wm.j2eeSpecLevel = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (el.getLocalName().equals("web-inf")) { // NOI18N
-                    wm.webInf = Util.findText(el);
+                    wm.webInf = XMLUtil.findText(el);
                 }
             }
             list.add(wm);
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@
         }
         
         Document doc = data.getOwnerDocument();
-        List<Element> wms = Util.findSubElements(data);
+        List<Element> wms = XMLUtil.findSubElements(data);
         Iterator<Element> it = wms.iterator();
         while (it.hasNext()) {
             Element wmEl = it.next();