diff --git a/include/local.h b/include/local.h
index 2fe9a273..66008163 100644
--- a/include/local.h
+++ b/include/local.h
@@ -348,4 +348,6 @@ int snd_config_search_alias_hooks(snd_config_t *config,
                                   const char *base, const char *key,
 				  snd_config_t **result);
 
+int _snd_conf_generic_id(const char *id);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/confmisc.c b/src/confmisc.c
index af686bea..1fb4f282 100644
--- a/src/confmisc.c
+++ b/src/confmisc.c
@@ -1302,3 +1302,16 @@ int snd_func_refer(snd_config_t **dst, snd_config_t *root, snd_config_t *src,
 #ifndef DOC_HIDDEN
 SND_DLSYM_BUILD_VERSION(snd_func_refer, SND_CONFIG_DLSYM_VERSION_EVALUATE);
 #endif
+
+#ifndef DOC_HIDDEN
+int _snd_conf_generic_id(const char *id)
+{
+	static const char ids[3][8] = { "comment", "type", "hint" };
+	unsigned int k;
+	for (k = 0; k < sizeof(ids) / sizeof(ids[0]); ++k) {
+		if (strcmp(id, ids[k]) == 0)
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/control/control_hw.c b/src/control/control_hw.c
index dfc9dcd5..7d23151c 100644
--- a/src/control/control_hw.c
+++ b/src/control/control_hw.c
@@ -446,9 +446,7 @@ int _snd_ctl_hw_open(snd_ctl_t **handlep, char *name, snd_config_t *root ATTRIBU
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "type") == 0)
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 			continue;
 		if (strcmp(id, "card") == 0) {
 			err = snd_config_get_integer(n, &card);
diff --git a/src/control/control_shm.c b/src/control/control_shm.c
index 40bc705d..bd07d4af 100644
--- a/src/control/control_shm.c
+++ b/src/control/control_shm.c
@@ -551,10 +551,7 @@ int _snd_ctl_shm_open(snd_ctl_t **handlep, char *name, snd_config_t *root, snd_c
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "type") == 0)
-			continue;
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 		if (strcmp(id, "server") == 0) {
 			err = snd_config_get_string(n, &server);
 			if (err < 0) {
@@ -597,7 +594,7 @@ int _snd_ctl_shm_open(snd_ctl_t **handlep, char *name, snd_config_t *root, snd_c
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 			continue;
 		if (strcmp(id, "host") == 0)
 			continue;
diff --git a/src/hwdep/hwdep_hw.c b/src/hwdep/hwdep_hw.c
index 4314e32b..12528c55 100644
--- a/src/hwdep/hwdep_hw.c
+++ b/src/hwdep/hwdep_hw.c
@@ -158,9 +158,7 @@ int _snd_hwdep_hw_open(snd_hwdep_t **hwdep, char *name,
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "type") == 0)
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 			continue;
 		if (strcmp(id, "card") == 0) {
 			err = snd_config_get_integer(n, &card);
diff --git a/src/pcm/pcm.c b/src/pcm/pcm.c
index e74e02fc..bc18954b 100644
--- a/src/pcm/pcm.c
+++ b/src/pcm/pcm.c
@@ -7059,18 +7059,6 @@ int snd_pcm_slave_conf(snd_config_t *root, snd_config_t *conf,
 	return err;
 }
 		
-
-int snd_pcm_conf_generic_id(const char *id)
-{
-	static const char ids[3][8] = { "comment", "type", "hint" };
-	unsigned int k;
-	for (k = 0; k < sizeof(ids) / sizeof(ids[0]); ++k) {
-		if (strcmp(id, ids[k]) == 0)
-			return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void snd_pcm_set_ptr(snd_pcm_t *pcm, snd_pcm_rbptr_t *rbptr,
 			    volatile snd_pcm_uframes_t *hw_ptr, int fd, off_t offset)
 {
diff --git a/src/pcm/pcm_local.h b/src/pcm/pcm_local.h
index 394505f9..326618ec 100644
--- a/src/pcm/pcm_local.h
+++ b/src/pcm/pcm_local.h
@@ -262,8 +262,6 @@ struct _snd_pcm {
 	snd1_pcm_areas_from_bufs
 #define snd_pcm_open_named_slave \
 	snd1_pcm_open_named_slave
-#define snd_pcm_conf_generic_id \
-	snd1_pcm_conf_generic_id
 #define snd_pcm_hw_open_fd \
 	snd1_pcm_hw_open_fd
 #define snd_pcm_wait_nocheck \
@@ -882,7 +880,8 @@ snd_pcm_open_slave(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, snd_config_t *root,
 	return snd_pcm_open_named_slave(pcmp, NULL, root, conf, stream,
 					mode, parent_conf);
 }
-int snd_pcm_conf_generic_id(const char *id);
+
+#define snd_pcm_conf_generic_id(id) _snd_conf_generic_id(id)
 
 int snd_pcm_hw_open_fd(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name, int fd, int mmap_emulation, int sync_ptr_ioctl);
 int __snd_pcm_mmap_emul_open(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
diff --git a/src/rawmidi/rawmidi.c b/src/rawmidi/rawmidi.c
index ac699b43..0c89b8b9 100644
--- a/src/rawmidi/rawmidi.c
+++ b/src/rawmidi/rawmidi.c
@@ -990,21 +990,3 @@ ssize_t snd_rawmidi_read(snd_rawmidi_t *rawmidi, void *buffer, size_t size)
 	assert(buffer || size == 0);
 	return (rawmidi->ops->read)(rawmidi, buffer, size);
 }
-
-#ifndef DOC_HIDDEN
-int snd_rawmidi_conf_generic_id(const char *id)
-{
-	static const char ids[][8] = {
-		"comment",
-		"type",
-		"hint",
-	};
-	unsigned int k;
-
-	for (k = 0; k < sizeof ids / sizeof *ids; ++k) {
-		if (strcmp(id, ids[k]) == 0)
-			return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif
diff --git a/src/rawmidi/rawmidi_local.h b/src/rawmidi/rawmidi_local.h
index 3388502c..8992771e 100644
--- a/src/rawmidi/rawmidi_local.h
+++ b/src/rawmidi/rawmidi_local.h
@@ -58,4 +58,4 @@ int snd_rawmidi_virtual_open(snd_rawmidi_t **inputp, snd_rawmidi_t **outputp,
 			     const char *name, snd_seq_t *seq_handle, int port,
 			     int merge, int mode);
 
-int snd_rawmidi_conf_generic_id(const char *id);
+#define snd_rawmidi_conf_generic_id(id)	_snd_conf_generic_id(id)
diff --git a/src/seq/seq_hw.c b/src/seq/seq_hw.c
index 6cb31d6f..d0333673 100644
--- a/src/seq/seq_hw.c
+++ b/src/seq/seq_hw.c
@@ -546,9 +546,7 @@ int _snd_seq_hw_open(snd_seq_t **handlep, char *name,
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "type") == 0)
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 			continue;
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
diff --git a/src/timer/timer_hw.c b/src/timer/timer_hw.c
index aa6a0b1b..e833fc8c 100644
--- a/src/timer/timer_hw.c
+++ b/src/timer/timer_hw.c
@@ -299,9 +299,7 @@ int _snd_timer_hw_open(snd_timer_t **timer, char *name,
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "type") == 0)
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 			continue;
 		if (strcmp(id, "class") == 0) {
 			err = snd_config_get_integer(n, &dev_class);
diff --git a/src/timer/timer_query_hw.c b/src/timer/timer_query_hw.c
index 9f62b78a..289ca52f 100644
--- a/src/timer/timer_query_hw.c
+++ b/src/timer/timer_query_hw.c
@@ -134,9 +134,7 @@ int _snd_timer_query_hw_open(snd_timer_query_t **timer, char *name,
 		const char *id;
 		if (snd_config_get_id(n, &id) < 0)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "comment") == 0)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(id, "type") == 0)
+		if (_snd_conf_generic_id(id))
 			continue;
 		SNDERR("Unexpected field %s", id);
 		return -EINVAL;