diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 7a2600b4c..ee9020af9 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2011-04-23  Nick Treleaven  <nick(dot)treleaven(at)btinternet(dot)com>
+
+ * src/utils.c, src/utils.h, src/plugindata.h, src/plugins.c,
+   plugins/geanyfunctions.h:
+   Add utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos() API function (patch by Eugene
+   Arshinov, thanks).
+
+
 2011-04-19  Nick Treleaven  <nick(dot)treleaven(at)btinternet(dot)com>
 
  * src/editor.c:
diff --git a/plugins/geanyfunctions.h b/plugins/geanyfunctions.h
index 8814cfcd8..5af341edf 100644
--- a/plugins/geanyfunctions.h
+++ b/plugins/geanyfunctions.h
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@
 	geany_functions->p_utils->utils_copy_environment
 #define utils_find_open_xml_tag \
 	geany_functions->p_utils->utils_find_open_xml_tag
+#define utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos \
+	geany_functions->p_utils->utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos
 #define ui_dialog_vbox_new \
 	geany_functions->p_ui->ui_dialog_vbox_new
 #define ui_frame_new_with_alignment \
diff --git a/src/plugindata.h b/src/plugindata.h
index a831cb777..444f5ed7a 100644
--- a/src/plugindata.h
+++ b/src/plugindata.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
  * @warning You should not test for values below 200 as previously
  * @c GEANY_API_VERSION was defined as an enum value, not a macro.
  */
-#define GEANY_API_VERSION 209
+#define GEANY_API_VERSION 210
 
 /** The Application Binary Interface (ABI) version, incremented whenever
  * existing fields in the plugin data types have to be changed or reordered.
@@ -439,6 +439,7 @@ typedef struct UtilsFuncs
 				GError **error);
 	gchar**		(*utils_copy_environment)(const gchar **exclude_vars, const gchar *first_varname, ...);
 	gchar*		(*utils_find_open_xml_tag) (const gchar sel[], gint size);
+	const gchar*	(*utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos) (const gchar sel[], gint size);
 }
 UtilsFuncs;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins.c b/src/plugins.c
index 886332cfe..66c7d9e3d 100644
--- a/src/plugins.c
+++ b/src/plugins.c
@@ -225,7 +225,8 @@ static UtilsFuncs utils_funcs = {
 	&utils_str_remove_chars,
 	&utils_get_file_list_full,
 	&utils_copy_environment,
-	&utils_find_open_xml_tag
+	&utils_find_open_xml_tag,
+	&utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos
 };
 
 static UIUtilsFuncs uiutils_funcs = {
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 5ea604272..6600decee 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -285,12 +285,37 @@ gint utils_write_file(const gchar *filename, const gchar *text)
 }
 
 
-/** Searches backward through @a size bytes looking for a '<', then returns the tag, if any.
+/** Searches backward through @a size bytes looking for a '<'.
  * @param sel .
  * @param size .
- * @return The tag name.
+ * @return The tag name (newly allocated) or @c NULL if no opening tag was found.
  */
 gchar *utils_find_open_xml_tag(const gchar sel[], gint size)
+{
+	const gchar *cur, *begin;
+	gint len;
+
+	cur = utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos(sel, size);
+	if (cur == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	cur++; /* skip the bracket */
+	begin = cur;
+	while (strchr(":_-.", *cur) || isalnum(*cur))
+		cur++;
+
+	len = cur - begin;
+	g_return_val_if_fail(len, NULL);
+	return g_strndup(begin, len);
+}
+
+
+/** Searches backward through @a size bytes looking for a '<'.
+ * @param sel .
+ * @param size .
+ * @return pointer to '<' of the found opening tag within @a sel, or @c NULL if no opening tag was found.
+ */
+const gchar *utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos(const gchar sel[], gint size)
 {
 	/* stolen from anjuta and modified */
 	const gchar *begin, *cur;
@@ -319,27 +344,15 @@ gchar *utils_find_open_xml_tag(const gchar sel[], gint size)
 	{
 		if (*cur == '<')
 			break;
+		/* exit immediately if such non-valid XML/HTML is detected, e.g. "<script>if a >" */
 		else if (*cur == '>')
 			break;
 		--cur;
 	}
 
-	if (*cur == '<')
-	{
-		GString *result;
-
-		cur++;
-		if (*cur == '/')
-			return NULL; /* we found a closing tag */
-
-		result = g_string_sized_new(64);
-		while (strchr(":_-.", *cur) || isalnum(*cur))
-		{
-			g_string_append_c(result, *cur);
-			cur++;
-		}
-		return g_string_free(result, FALSE);
-	}
+	/* if the found tag is an opening, not a closing tag or empty <> */
+	if (*cur == '<' && *(cur + 1) != '/' && *(cur + 1) != '>')
+		return cur;
 
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index d582c98e5..5a9ef0888 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ gint utils_write_file(const gchar *filename, const gchar *text);
 
 gchar *utils_find_open_xml_tag(const gchar sel[], gint size);
 
+const gchar *utils_find_open_xml_tag_pos(const gchar sel[], gint size);
+
 gboolean utils_is_short_html_tag(const gchar *tag_name);
 
 void utils_ensure_same_eol_characters(GString *string, gint target_eol_mode);