diff --git a/src/server/slavefuncs.c b/src/server/slavefuncs.c
--- a/src/server/slavefuncs.c
+++ b/src/server/slavefuncs.c
@@ -39,11 +39,29 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
 
-/** Stub, writes struct from xml */
-int buildstruct(struct blendjob* blendjob, char *pathtoxml){
-  return 1;
+/**
+ utility function for XPath-ish stuff:
+ */
+xmlNodePtr xml_quickxpath(xmlXPathContextPtr xpathctxt, xmlChar *path)
+{
+  xmlNodePtr toreturn;
+
+  xmlXPathObjectPtr xmlxpathobjptr;
+  xmlxpathobjptr = xmlXPathEval(path, xpathctxt);
+  if(!xmlxpathobjptr->nodesetval->nodeNr)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "XPath resolution failed for ``%s'' in ``%s'' (``'')\n", path, xpathctxt->doc->name, xpathctxt->doc->URL);
+      return (xmlNodePtr)NULL;
+    }
+  
+  toreturn = *(xmlxpathobjptr->nodesetval->nodeTab);
+
+  xmlXPathFreeObject(xmlxpathobjptr);
+
+  return toreturn;
 }
 
+
 /** Stub stub stubbiness ugh */
 void tell_the_server(char *stuff){
 }
@@ -356,3 +374,14 @@ void exec_blender(struct blendjob* blend
   		fprintf(stderr,"Blender at least started nicely, who knows if it rendered anything though.");
   	}
 }
+
+void xmlinit()
+{
+  xmlInitParser();
+  xmlXPathInit();
+}
+
+void xmlcleanup()
+{
+  xmlCleanupParser();
+}