diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index b30a3a4443..fe50c1f540 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -400,25 +400,6 @@ STATIC void apply_to_single_or_list(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn, pn_kin
     }
 }
 
-STATIC int list_get(mp_parse_node_t *pn, pn_kind_t pn_kind, mp_parse_node_t **nodes) {
-    if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(*pn)) {
-        *nodes = NULL;
-        return 0;
-    } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_LEAF(*pn)) {
-        *nodes = pn;
-        return 1;
-    } else {
-        mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)(*pn);
-        if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns) != pn_kind) {
-            *nodes = pn;
-            return 1;
-        } else {
-            *nodes = pns->nodes;
-            return MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_NUM_NODES(pns);
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 STATIC void compile_generic_all_nodes(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
     int num_nodes = MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_NUM_NODES(pns);
     for (int i = 0; i < num_nodes; i++) {
@@ -1213,7 +1194,7 @@ STATIC bool compile_built_in_decorator(compiler_t *comp, int name_len, mp_parse_
 STATIC void compile_decorated(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
     // get the list of decorators
     mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-    int n = list_get(&pns->nodes[0], PN_decorators, &nodes);
+    int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[0], PN_decorators, &nodes);
 
     // inherit emit options for this function/class definition
     uint emit_options = comp->scope_cur->emit_options;
@@ -1226,7 +1207,7 @@ STATIC void compile_decorated(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 
         // nodes[0] contains the decorator function, which is a dotted name
         mp_parse_node_t *name_nodes;
-        int name_len = list_get(&pns_decorator->nodes[0], PN_dotted_name, &name_nodes);
+        int name_len = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns_decorator->nodes[0], PN_dotted_name, &name_nodes);
 
         // check for built-in decorators
         if (compile_built_in_decorator(comp, name_len, name_nodes, &emit_options)) {
@@ -1529,7 +1510,7 @@ STATIC void compile_import_from(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 
         // get the list of . and/or ...'s
         mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-        int n = list_get(&pn_rel, PN_one_or_more_period_or_ellipsis, &nodes);
+        int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pn_rel, PN_one_or_more_period_or_ellipsis, &nodes);
 
         // count the total number of .'s
         for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
@@ -1563,7 +1544,7 @@ STATIC void compile_import_from(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 
         // build the "fromlist" tuple
         mp_parse_node_t *pn_nodes;
-        int n = list_get(&pns->nodes[1], PN_import_as_names, &pn_nodes);
+        int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[1], PN_import_as_names, &pn_nodes);
 #if MICROPY_EMIT_CPYTHON
         {
             vstr_t *vstr = vstr_new();
@@ -1635,7 +1616,7 @@ STATIC void compile_declare_global(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn, qstr qs
 STATIC void compile_global_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
     if (comp->pass == MP_PASS_SCOPE) {
         mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-        int n = list_get(&pns->nodes[0], PN_name_list, &nodes);
+        int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[0], PN_name_list, &nodes);
         for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
             compile_declare_global(comp, (mp_parse_node_t)pns, MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(nodes[i]));
         }
@@ -1665,7 +1646,7 @@ STATIC void compile_nonlocal_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns)
             return;
         }
         mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-        int n = list_get(&pns->nodes[0], PN_name_list, &nodes);
+        int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[0], PN_name_list, &nodes);
         for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
             compile_declare_nonlocal(comp, (mp_parse_node_t)pns, MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(nodes[i]));
         }
@@ -1717,7 +1698,7 @@ STATIC void compile_if_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 
     // compile elif blocks (if any)
     mp_parse_node_t *pn_elif;
-    int n_elif = list_get(&pns->nodes[2], PN_if_stmt_elif_list, &pn_elif);
+    int n_elif = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[2], PN_if_stmt_elif_list, &pn_elif);
     for (int i = 0; i < n_elif; i++) {
         assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT_KIND(pn_elif[i], PN_if_stmt_elif)); // should be
         mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns_elif = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pn_elif[i];
@@ -1900,7 +1881,7 @@ STATIC void compile_for_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
             && MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pns_it->nodes[2])) {
             mp_parse_node_t pn_range_args = ((mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pns_it->nodes[1])->nodes[0];
             mp_parse_node_t *args;
-            int n_args = list_get(&pn_range_args, PN_arglist, &args);
+            int n_args = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pn_range_args, PN_arglist, &args);
             mp_parse_node_t pn_range_start;
             mp_parse_node_t pn_range_end;
             mp_parse_node_t pn_range_step;
@@ -2094,7 +2075,7 @@ STATIC void compile_try_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
         } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns2) == PN_try_stmt_except_and_more) {
             // try-except and possibly else and/or finally
             mp_parse_node_t *pn_excepts;
-            int n_except = list_get(&pns2->nodes[0], PN_try_stmt_except_list, &pn_excepts);
+            int n_except = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns2->nodes[0], PN_try_stmt_except_list, &pn_excepts);
             if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(pns2->nodes[2])) {
                 // no finally
                 compile_try_except(comp, pns->nodes[0], n_except, pn_excepts, pns2->nodes[1]);
@@ -2105,7 +2086,7 @@ STATIC void compile_try_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
         } else {
             // just try-except
             mp_parse_node_t *pn_excepts;
-            int n_except = list_get(&pns->nodes[1], PN_try_stmt_except_list, &pn_excepts);
+            int n_except = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[1], PN_try_stmt_except_list, &pn_excepts);
             compile_try_except(comp, pns->nodes[0], n_except, pn_excepts, MP_PARSE_NODE_NULL);
         }
     } else {
@@ -2148,7 +2129,7 @@ STATIC void compile_with_stmt_helper(compiler_t *comp, int n, mp_parse_node_t *n
 STATIC void compile_with_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
     // get the nodes for the pre-bit of the with (the a as b, c as d, ... bit)
     mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-    int n = list_get(&pns->nodes[0], PN_with_stmt_list, &nodes);
+    int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[0], PN_with_stmt_list, &nodes);
     assert(n > 0);
 
     // compile in a nested fashion
@@ -2509,7 +2490,7 @@ STATIC void compile_trailer_paren_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn_ar
 
     // get the list of arguments
     mp_parse_node_t *args;
-    int n_args = list_get(&pn_arglist, PN_arglist, &args);
+    int n_args = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pn_arglist, PN_arglist, &args);
 
     // compile the arguments
     // Rather than calling compile_node on the list, we go through the list of args
@@ -2771,7 +2752,7 @@ STATIC void compile_atom_brace(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
 
                 // get tail elements (2nd, 3rd, ...)
                 mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-                int n = list_get(&pns1->nodes[0], PN_dictorsetmaker_list2, &nodes);
+                int n = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns1->nodes[0], PN_dictorsetmaker_list2, &nodes);
 
                 // first element sets whether it's a dict or set
                 bool is_dict;
@@ -3439,7 +3420,7 @@ STATIC void compile_scope_inline_asm(compiler_t *comp, scope_t *scope, pass_kind
     // parameters are in pns->nodes[1]
     if (comp->pass == MP_PASS_CODE_SIZE) {
         mp_parse_node_t *pn_params;
-        int n_params = list_get(&pns->nodes[1], PN_typedargslist, &pn_params);
+        int n_params = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns->nodes[1], PN_typedargslist, &pn_params);
         scope->num_pos_args = EMIT_INLINE_ASM_ARG(count_params, n_params, pn_params);
         if (comp->compile_error != MP_OBJ_NULL) {
             goto inline_asm_error;
@@ -3450,7 +3431,7 @@ STATIC void compile_scope_inline_asm(compiler_t *comp, scope_t *scope, pass_kind
 
     mp_parse_node_t pn_body = pns->nodes[3]; // body
     mp_parse_node_t *nodes;
-    int num = list_get(&pn_body, PN_suite_block_stmts, &nodes);
+    int num = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pn_body, PN_suite_block_stmts, &nodes);
 
     /*
     if (comp->pass == MP_PASS_EMIT) {
@@ -3482,7 +3463,7 @@ STATIC void compile_scope_inline_asm(compiler_t *comp, scope_t *scope, pass_kind
         qstr op = MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(pns2->nodes[0]);
         pns2 = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)pns2->nodes[1]; // PN_trailer_paren
         mp_parse_node_t *pn_arg;
-        int n_args = list_get(&pns2->nodes[0], PN_arglist, &pn_arg);
+        int n_args = mp_parse_node_extract_list(&pns2->nodes[0], PN_arglist, &pn_arg);
 
         // emit instructions
         if (op == MP_QSTR_label) {
diff --git a/py/parse.c b/py/parse.c
index 4ea0362d2b..6223968f5d 100644
--- a/py/parse.c
+++ b/py/parse.c
@@ -199,6 +199,25 @@ void mp_parse_node_free(mp_parse_node_t pn) {
     }
 }
 
+int mp_parse_node_extract_list(mp_parse_node_t *pn, mp_uint_t pn_kind, mp_parse_node_t **nodes) {
+    if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_NULL(*pn)) {
+        *nodes = NULL;
+        return 0;
+    } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_LEAF(*pn)) {
+        *nodes = pn;
+        return 1;
+    } else {
+        mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns = (mp_parse_node_struct_t*)(*pn);
+        if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns) != pn_kind) {
+            *nodes = pn;
+            return 1;
+        } else {
+            *nodes = pns->nodes;
+            return MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_NUM_NODES(pns);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #if MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTERS
 void mp_parse_node_print(mp_parse_node_t pn, mp_uint_t indent) {
     if (MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_STRUCT(pn)) {
diff --git a/py/parse.h b/py/parse.h
index 5d992a6b9c..ee28665636 100644
--- a/py/parse.h
+++ b/py/parse.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ typedef struct _mp_parse_node_struct_t {
 
 mp_parse_node_t mp_parse_node_new_leaf(mp_int_t kind, mp_int_t arg);
 void mp_parse_node_free(mp_parse_node_t pn);
-
+int mp_parse_node_extract_list(mp_parse_node_t *pn, mp_uint_t pn_kind, mp_parse_node_t **nodes);
 void mp_parse_node_print(mp_parse_node_t pn, mp_uint_t indent);
 
 typedef enum {