diff --git a/lib/webrat/core/matchers/have_xpath.rb b/lib/webrat/core/matchers/have_xpath.rb
index e06bc418..b3eb96fe 100644
--- a/lib/webrat/core/matchers/have_xpath.rb
+++ b/lib/webrat/core/matchers/have_xpath.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+require "webrat/core/nokogiri"
+require "webrat/core/rexml"
+
 module Webrat
   module Matchers
     
@@ -16,9 +19,13 @@ def matches?(stringlike)
       end
     
       def matches_rexml?(stringlike)
-        @query = query
+        if REXML::Node === stringlike || Array === stringlike
+          @query = query.map { |q| q.gsub(%r'//', './') }
+        else
+          @query = query
+        end
 
-        @document = rexml_document(stringlike)
+        @document = Webrat.rexml_document(stringlike)
 
         matched = @query.map do |q|
           if @document.is_a?(Array)
@@ -42,28 +49,6 @@ def matches_nokogiri?(stringlike)
         matched = @document.xpath(*@query)
         matched.any? && (!@block || @block.call(matched))
       end
-    
-      def rexml_document(stringlike)
-        stringlike = stringlike.body.to_s if stringlike.respond_to?(:body)
-        
-        case stringlike
-        when REXML::Document
-          stringlike.root
-        when REXML::Node, Array
-          @query = query.map { |q| q.gsub(%r'//', './') }
-          stringlike
-        else
-          begin
-            REXML::Document.new(stringlike.to_s).root
-          rescue REXML::ParseException => e
-            if e.message.include?("second root element")
-              REXML::Document.new("<fake-root-element>#{stringlike}</fake-root-element>").root
-            else
-              raise e
-            end
-          end
-        end
-      end
       
       def query
         [@expected].flatten.compact
diff --git a/lib/webrat/core/rexml.rb b/lib/webrat/core/rexml.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83f9dd19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/webrat/core/rexml.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+module Webrat
+  
+  def self.rexml_document(stringlike)
+    stringlike = stringlike.body.to_s if stringlike.respond_to?(:body)
+
+    case stringlike
+    when REXML::Document
+      stringlike.root
+    when REXML::Node, Array
+      stringlike
+    else
+      begin
+        REXML::Document.new(stringlike.to_s).root
+      rescue REXML::ParseException => e
+        if e.message.include?("second root element")
+          REXML::Document.new("<fake-root-element>#{stringlike}</fake-root-element>").root
+        else
+          raise e
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+  
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/webrat/core/scope.rb b/lib/webrat/core/scope.rb
index adf1d6a0..98336ee9 100644
--- a/lib/webrat/core/scope.rb
+++ b/lib/webrat/core/scope.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-require "nokogiri"
 require "webrat/core/form"
 require "webrat/core/locators"