diff --git a/src/pipewire/array.h b/src/pipewire/array.h
index 7fecb6434..144e0177d 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/array.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/array.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ struct pw_array {
 
 #define pw_array_first(a)	((a)->data)
 #define pw_array_end(a)		SPA_PTROFF((a)->data, (a)->size, void)
+#define pw_array_last(a, T)	(((T *) pw_array_end(a)) - 1)
 #define pw_array_check(a,p)	(SPA_PTROFF(p,sizeof(*p),void) <= pw_array_end(a))
 
 #define pw_array_for_each(pos, array)					\
diff --git a/src/pipewire/properties.c b/src/pipewire/properties.c
index a84244858..11d81c064 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/properties.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/properties.c
@@ -59,6 +59,17 @@ static int add_func(struct pw_properties *this, char *key, char *value)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void remove_item(struct pw_properties *this, struct spa_dict_item *item)
+{
+	struct properties *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(this, struct properties, this);
+	const struct spa_dict_item *last = pw_array_last(&impl->items, struct spa_dict_item);
+
+	item->key = last->key;
+	item->value = last->value;
+	impl->items.size -= sizeof(*item);
+	this->dict.n_items--;
+}
+
 static void clear_item(struct spa_dict_item *item)
 {
 	free((char *) item->key);
@@ -385,7 +396,6 @@ void pw_properties_free(struct pw_properties *properties)
 
 static int do_replace(struct pw_properties *properties, const char *key, char *value, bool copy)
 {
-	struct properties *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(properties, struct properties, this);
 	struct spa_dict_item *item;
 
 	if (key == NULL || key[0] == 0)
@@ -403,14 +413,8 @@ static int do_replace(struct pw_properties *properties, const char *key, char *v
 			goto exit_noupdate;
 
 		if (value == NULL) {
-			struct spa_dict_item *last = pw_array_get_unchecked(&impl->items,
-						     pw_array_get_len(&impl->items, struct spa_dict_item) - 1,
-						     struct spa_dict_item);
 			clear_item(item);
-			item->key = last->key;
-			item->value = last->value;
-			impl->items.size -= sizeof(struct spa_dict_item);
-			properties->dict.n_items--;
+			remove_item(properties, item);
 			SPA_FLAG_CLEAR(properties->dict.flags, SPA_DICT_FLAG_SORTED);
 		} else {
 			free((char *) item->value);