diff --git a/lib/common/tests/xml_comment/pcmk__xc_create_test.c b/lib/common/tests/xml_comment/pcmk__xc_create_test.c
index 4e25adc130..de409d19ed 100644
--- a/lib/common/tests/xml_comment/pcmk__xc_create_test.c
+++ b/lib/common/tests/xml_comment/pcmk__xc_create_test.c
@@ -1,77 +1,72 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2024 the Pacemaker project contributors
+ * Copyright 2024-2025 the Pacemaker project contributors
  *
  * The version control history for this file may have further details.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2
  * or later (GPLv2+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #include <crm_internal.h>
 
 #include <crm/common/unittest_internal.h>
 
 #include "crmcommon_private.h"
 
 /* This tests new_private_data() indirectly for comment nodes. Testing
  * free_private_data() would be much less straightforward and is not worth the
  * hassle.
  */
 
 static void
-assert_comment(xmlDoc *doc, const char *content)
+assert_comment(const char *content)
 {
+    xmlDoc *doc = pcmk__xml_new_doc();
+    xml_doc_private_t *docpriv = doc->_private;
     xmlNode *node = NULL;
     xml_node_private_t *nodepriv = NULL;
-    xml_doc_private_t *docpriv = doc->_private;
 
     // Also clears existing doc flags
     xml_track_changes((xmlNode *) doc, NULL, NULL, false);
 
     node = pcmk__xc_create(doc, content);
     assert_non_null(node);
     assert_int_equal(node->type, XML_COMMENT_NODE);
     assert_ptr_equal(node->doc, doc);
 
     if (content == NULL) {
         assert_null(node->content);
     } else {
         assert_non_null(node->content);
         assert_string_equal((const char *) node->content, content);
     }
 
     nodepriv = node->_private;
     assert_non_null(nodepriv);
     assert_int_equal(nodepriv->check, PCMK__XML_NODE_PRIVATE_MAGIC);
     assert_true(pcmk_all_flags_set(nodepriv->flags,
                                    pcmk__xf_dirty|pcmk__xf_created));
 
     assert_true(pcmk_is_set(docpriv->flags, pcmk__xf_dirty));
 
     pcmk__xml_free(node);
+    pcmk__xml_free_doc(doc);
 }
 
 static void
 null_doc(void **state)
 {
     pcmk__assert_asserts(pcmk__xc_create(NULL, NULL));
     pcmk__assert_asserts(pcmk__xc_create(NULL, "some content"));
 }
 
 static void
 with_doc(void **state)
 {
-    xmlDoc *doc = pcmk__xml_new_doc();
-
-    assert_non_null(doc);
-    assert_non_null(doc->_private);
-
-    assert_comment(doc, NULL);
-    assert_comment(doc, "some content");
-
-    pcmk__xml_free_doc(doc);
+    assert_comment(NULL);
+    assert_comment("some content");
 }
 
 PCMK__UNIT_TEST(pcmk__xml_test_setup_group, pcmk__xml_test_teardown_group,
                 cmocka_unit_test(null_doc),
                 cmocka_unit_test(with_doc));