diff --git a/include/resources_tree_model.h b/include/resources_tree_model.h
index 6b5d8b4c1..5ecabff33 100644
--- a/include/resources_tree_model.h
+++ b/include/resources_tree_model.h
@@ -62,6 +62,19 @@ public:
 
 	void setFilter( const QString & _s );
 
+	// return ResourcesTreeItem belonging to a certain index
+	static inline ResourcesTreeItem * treeItem( const QModelIndex & _idx )
+	{
+		return static_cast<ResourcesTreeItem *>(
+						_idx.internalPointer() );
+	}
+
+	// return ResourcesItem belonging to a certain index
+	static inline ResourcesItem * item( const QModelIndex & _idx )
+	{
+		return treeItem( _idx )->item();
+	}
+
 
 private:
 	bool filterItems( ResourcesTreeItem * _item,
diff --git a/src/core/resources_tree_model.cpp b/src/core/resources_tree_model.cpp
index d31fb43bd..0ac1381e5 100644
--- a/src/core/resources_tree_model.cpp
+++ b/src/core/resources_tree_model.cpp
@@ -42,9 +42,7 @@ QVariant ResourcesTreeModel::data( const QModelIndex & _idx, int _role ) const
 {
 	if( _idx.isValid() )
 	{
-		ResourcesTreeItem * item =
-				static_cast<ResourcesTreeItem *>(
-						_idx.internalPointer() );
+		ResourcesTreeItem * item = treeItem( _idx );
 		if( _role == Qt::DisplayRole )
 		{
 			if( item->parent() == m_db->topLevelNode() )
@@ -121,8 +119,7 @@ int ResourcesTreeModel::rowCount( const QModelIndex & _parent ) const
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		parentItem = static_cast<ResourcesTreeItem *>(
-						_parent.internalPointer() );
+		parentItem = treeItem( _parent );
 	}
 	return parentItem->rowCount();
 }
@@ -146,8 +143,7 @@ QModelIndex ResourcesTreeModel::index( int _row, int _col,
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		parentItem = static_cast<ResourcesTreeItem *>(
-						_parent.internalPointer() );
+		parentItem = treeItem( _parent );
 	}
 
 	if( _row < parentItem->rowCount() )
@@ -167,9 +163,7 @@ QModelIndex ResourcesTreeModel::parent( const QModelIndex & _idx ) const
 		return QModelIndex();
 	}
 
-	ResourcesTreeItem * childItem =
-			static_cast<ResourcesTreeItem *>(
-						_idx.internalPointer() );
+	ResourcesTreeItem * childItem = treeItem( _idx );
 	ResourcesTreeItem * parentItem = childItem->parent();
 	if( parentItem == m_db->topLevelNode() )
 	{