diff --git a/omapip/connection.c b/omapip/connection.c

index a74becc..56826a5 100644

--- a/omapip/connection.c

+++ b/omapip/connection.c

@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ extern omapi_array_t *trace_listeners;

 #endif

 static isc_result_t omapi_connection_connect_internal (omapi_object_t *);

+static isc_result_t ctring_from_attribute(omapi_object_t *obj, char *attr_name,

+                                          char **cstr);

+

 OMAPI_OBJECT_ALLOC (omapi_connection,

 		    omapi_connection_object_t, omapi_type_connection)

@@ -765,64 +768,41 @@ isc_result_t omapi_connection_reaper (omapi_object_t *h)

 }

 static isc_result_t make_dst_key (dst_key_t **dst_key, omapi_object_t *a) {

-	omapi_value_t *name      = (omapi_value_t *)0;

-	omapi_value_t *algorithm = (omapi_value_t *)0;

-	omapi_value_t *key       = (omapi_value_t *)0;

-	char *name_str = NULL;

+	omapi_value_t *key = 0;

+	char *name_str = 0;

+	char *algorithm_str = 0;

 	isc_result_t status = ISC_R_SUCCESS;

-	if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS)

-		status = omapi_get_value_str

-			(a, (omapi_object_t *)0, "name", &name);

-

-	if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS)

-		status = omapi_get_value_str

-			(a, (omapi_object_t *)0, "algorithm", &algorithm);

-

-	if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS)

-		status = omapi_get_value_str

-			(a, (omapi_object_t *)0, "key", &key);

-

+	/* Get the key name as a C string. */

+	status = ctring_from_attribute(a, "name", &name_str);

 	if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {

-		if ((algorithm->value->type != omapi_datatype_data &&

-		     algorithm->value->type != omapi_datatype_string) ||

-		    strncasecmp((char *)algorithm->value->u.buffer.value,

-				NS_TSIG_ALG_HMAC_MD5 ".",

-				algorithm->value->u.buffer.len) != 0) {

-			status = DHCP_R_INVALIDARG;

+		/* Get the algorithm name as a C string. */

+		status = ctring_from_attribute(a, "algorithm", &algorithm_str);

+		if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {

+			/* Get the key secret value */

+			status = omapi_get_value_str(a, 0, "key", &key);

+			if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {

+				/* Now let's try and create the key */

+				status = isclib_make_dst_key(

+						name_str,

+						algorithm_str,

+						key->value->u.buffer.value,

+						key->value->u.buffer.len,

+						dst_key);

+

+				if (*dst_key == NULL) {

+					status = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;

+				}

+			}

 		}

 	}

-	if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {

-		name_str = dmalloc (name -> value -> u.buffer.len + 1, MDL);

-		if (!name_str)

-			status = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;

-	}

-

-	if (status == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {

-		memcpy (name_str,

-			name -> value -> u.buffer.value,

-			name -> value -> u.buffer.len);

-		name_str [name -> value -> u.buffer.len] = 0;

-

-		status = isclib_make_dst_key(name_str,

-					     DHCP_HMAC_MD5_NAME,

-					     key->value->u.buffer.value,

-					     key->value->u.buffer.len,

-					     dst_key);

-

-		if (*dst_key == NULL)

-			status = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;

-	}

-

 	if (name_str)

 		dfree (name_str, MDL);

+	if (algorithm_str)

+		dfree (algorithm_str, MDL);

 	if (key)

 		omapi_value_dereference (&key, MDL);

-	if (algorithm)

-		omapi_value_dereference (&algorithm, MDL);

-	if (name)

-		omapi_value_dereference (&name, MDL);

 	return status;

 }

@@ -1105,3 +1085,50 @@ isc_result_t omapi_connection_stuff_values (omapi_object_t *c,

 								m -> inner);

 	return ISC_R_SUCCESS;

 }

+

+/* @brief Fetches the value of an attribute in an object as an allocated

+ * C string

+ *

+ * @param obj ompapi object containing the desire attribute

+ * @param attr_name  name of the desired attribute

+ * @param[out] cstr pointer in which to place the allocated C string's address

+ *

+ * Caller is responsible for freeing (via dfree) the allocated string.

+ *

+ * @return ISC_R_SUCCESS if successful, otherwise indicates the type of failure

+*/

+static isc_result_t ctring_from_attribute(omapi_object_t *obj, char *attr_name,

+                                          char **cstr) {

+	isc_result_t status = ISC_R_SUCCESS;

+	omapi_value_t *attr = 0;

+

+	/* Find the attribute in the object. */

+	status = omapi_get_value_str(obj, (omapi_object_t *)0, attr_name,

+                                 &attr);

+	if (status != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {

+		return (status);

+	}

+

+	/* Got it, let's make sure it's either data or string type. */

+	if (attr->value->type != omapi_datatype_data &&

+            attr->value->type != omapi_datatype_string) {

+		return (DHCP_R_INVALIDARG);

+        }

+

+	/* Make a C string from the attribute value. */

+	*cstr = dmalloc (attr->value->u.buffer.len + 1, MDL);

+	if (!(*cstr)) {

+		status = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;

+        } else {

+	        memcpy (*cstr, attr->value->u.buffer.value,

+		            attr->value->u.buffer.len);

+	        (*cstr)[attr->value->u.buffer.len] = 0;

+	}

+

+	/* Get rid of the attribute reference */

+	if (attr) {

+		omapi_value_dereference (&attr, MDL);

+	}

+

+	return (status);

+}