diff --git a/src/netsurf.zig b/src/netsurf.zig
index 0071b089..7b995189 100644
--- a/src/netsurf.zig
+++ b/src/netsurf.zig
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ const c = @cImport({
 // - node: the node interface instance
 inline fn getVtable(comptime VtableT: type, comptime NodeT: type, node: anytype) VtableT {
     // first align correctly the node interface
-    const node_aligned: *align(@alignOf([*c]c.dom_node)) NodeT = @alignCast(node);
+    const node_aligned: *align(@alignOf(NodeExternal)) NodeT = @alignCast(node);
     // then convert the node interface to a base node
-    const node_base = @as([*c]c.dom_node, @ptrCast(node_aligned));
+    const node_base = @as(NodeExternal, @ptrCast(node_aligned));
 
     // retrieve the vtable on the base node
     const vtable = node_base.*.vtable.?;
@@ -347,24 +347,22 @@ pub fn namedNodeMapGetLength(nnm: *NamedNodeMap) !u32 {
 }
 
 pub fn namedNodeMapItem(nnm: *NamedNodeMap, index: u32) !?*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_item(nnm, index, &n);
     try DOMErr(err);
 
     if (n == null) return null;
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
 pub fn namedNodeMapGetNamedItem(nnm: *NamedNodeMap, qname: []const u8) !?*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_get_named_item(nnm, try strFromData(qname), &n);
     try DOMErr(err);
 
     if (n == null) return null;
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
@@ -373,7 +371,7 @@ pub fn namedNodeMapGetNamedItemNS(
     namespace: []const u8,
     localname: []const u8,
 ) !?*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_get_named_item_ns(
         nnm,
         try strFromData(namespace),
@@ -384,52 +382,42 @@ pub fn namedNodeMapGetNamedItemNS(
 
     if (n == null) return null;
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
-// Convert a parser pointer to a public dom_node pointer.
-fn toDOMNode(comptime T: type, v: *T) [*c]c.dom_node {
-    const v_aligned: *align(@alignOf([*c]c.dom_node)) T = @alignCast(v);
-    return @ptrCast(v_aligned);
-}
-
 pub fn namedNodeMapSetNamedItem(nnm: *NamedNodeMap, attr: *Attribute) !?*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_set_named_item(
         nnm,
-        toDOMNode(Attribute, attr),
+        toNodeExternal(Attribute, attr),
         &n,
     );
     try DOMErr(err);
 
     if (n == null) return null;
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
 pub fn namedNodeMapSetNamedItemNS(nnm: *NamedNodeMap, attr: *Attribute) !?*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_set_named_item_ns(
         nnm,
-        toDOMNode(Attribute, attr),
+        toNodeExternal(Attribute, attr),
         &n,
     );
     try DOMErr(err);
 
     if (n == null) return null;
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
 pub fn namedNodeMapRemoveNamedItem(nnm: *NamedNodeMap, qname: []const u8) !*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_remove_named_item(nnm, try strFromData(qname), &n);
     try DOMErr(err);
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
@@ -438,7 +426,7 @@ pub fn namedNodeMapRemoveNamedItemNS(
     namespace: []const u8,
     localname: []const u8,
 ) !*Attribute {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_namednodemap_remove_named_item_ns(
         nnm,
         try strFromData(namespace),
@@ -447,7 +435,6 @@ pub fn namedNodeMapRemoveNamedItemNS(
     );
     try DOMErr(err);
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Attribute
     return @as(*Attribute, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
@@ -479,16 +466,26 @@ pub fn nodeListLength(nodeList: *NodeList) !u32 {
 }
 
 pub fn nodeListItem(nodeList: *NodeList, index: u32) !?*Node {
-    var n: [*c]c.dom_node = undefined;
+    var n: NodeExternal = undefined;
     const err = c._dom_nodelist_item(nodeList, index, &n);
     try DOMErr(err);
 
     if (n == null) return null;
 
-    // cast [*c]c.dom_node into *Node
     return @as(*Node, @ptrCast(n));
 }
 
+// NodeExternal is the libdom public representation of a Node.
+// Since we use the internal representation (dom_node_internal), we declare
+// here a private version useful for some netsurf function call.
+const NodeExternal = [*c]c.dom_node;
+
+// Convert a parser pointer to a NodeExternal pointer.
+fn toNodeExternal(comptime T: type, v: *T) NodeExternal {
+    const v_aligned: *align(@alignOf(NodeExternal)) T = @alignCast(v);
+    return @ptrCast(v_aligned);
+}
+
 // Node
 pub const Node = c.dom_node_internal;