diff --git a/internal/elements.go b/internal/elements.go
index dacf6b1..173a1ae 100644
--- a/internal/elements.go
+++ b/internal/elements.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (resp *Response) DecodeProp(v interface{}) error {
 		propstat := &resp.Propstats[i]
 		for j := range propstat.Prop.Raw {
 			raw := &propstat.Prop.Raw[j]
-			if start, ok := raw.tok.(xml.StartElement); ok && name == start.Name {
+			if n, ok := raw.XMLName(); ok && name == n {
 				if err := propstat.Status.Err(); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -183,16 +183,6 @@ func EncodeProp(values ...interface{}) (*Prop, error) {
 	return &Prop{Raw: l}, nil
 }
 
-func (prop *Prop) XMLNames() []xml.Name {
-	l := make([]xml.Name, 0, len(prop.Raw))
-	for _, raw := range prop.Raw {
-		if start, ok := raw.tok.(xml.StartElement); ok {
-			l = append(l, start.Name)
-		}
-	}
-	return l
-}
-
 // https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4918#section-14.20
 type Propfind struct {
 	XMLName  xml.Name  `xml:"DAV: propfind"`
@@ -232,7 +222,7 @@ func NewResourceType(names ...xml.Name) *ResourceType {
 
 func (t *ResourceType) Is(name xml.Name) bool {
 	for _, raw := range t.Raw {
-		if start, ok := raw.tok.(xml.StartElement); ok && name == start.Name {
+		if n, ok := raw.XMLName(); ok && name == n {
 			return true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/server.go b/internal/server.go
index e88aed2..0db957b 100644
--- a/internal/server.go
+++ b/internal/server.go
@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@ type HTTPError struct {
 	Err  error
 }
 
+func HTTPErrorFromError(err error) *HTTPError {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if httpErr, ok := err.(*HTTPError); ok {
+		return httpErr
+	} else {
+		return &HTTPError{http.StatusInternalServerError, err}
+	}
+}
+
 func HTTPErrorf(code int, format string, a ...interface{}) *HTTPError {
 	return &HTTPError{code, fmt.Errorf(format, a...)}
 }
@@ -104,3 +115,68 @@ func (h *Handler) handlePropfind(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 	w.Write([]byte(xml.Header))
 	return xml.NewEncoder(w).Encode(&ms)
 }
+
+type PropfindFunc func(raw *RawXMLValue) (interface{}, error)
+
+func NewPropfindResponse(href string, propfind *Propfind, props map[xml.Name]PropfindFunc) (*Response, error) {
+	resp := NewOKResponse(href)
+
+	if propfind.PropName != nil {
+		for xmlName, _ := range props {
+			emptyVal := NewRawXMLElement(xmlName, nil, nil)
+			if err := resp.EncodeProp(http.StatusOK, emptyVal); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	} else if propfind.AllProp != nil {
+		// TODO: add support for propfind.Include
+		for xmlName, f := range props {
+			emptyVal := NewRawXMLElement(xmlName, nil, nil)
+
+			val, err := f(emptyVal)
+
+			code := http.StatusOK
+			if err != nil {
+				// TODO: don't throw away error message here
+				code = HTTPErrorFromError(err).Code
+				val = emptyVal
+			}
+
+			if err := resp.EncodeProp(code, val); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	} else if prop := propfind.Prop; prop != nil {
+		for _, raw := range prop.Raw {
+			xmlName, ok := raw.XMLName()
+			if !ok {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			emptyVal := NewRawXMLElement(xmlName, nil, nil)
+
+			var code int
+			var val interface{} = emptyVal
+			f, ok := props[xmlName]
+			if ok {
+				if v, err := f(&raw); err != nil {
+					// TODO: don't throw away error message here
+					code = HTTPErrorFromError(err).Code
+				} else {
+					code = http.StatusOK
+					val = v
+				}
+			} else {
+				code = http.StatusNotFound
+			}
+
+			if err := resp.EncodeProp(code, val); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		return nil, HTTPErrorf(http.StatusBadRequest, "webdav: propfind request missing propname, allprop or prop element")
+	}
+
+	return resp, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/xml.go b/internal/xml.go
index 69d5ffc..2f4c61c 100644
--- a/internal/xml.go
+++ b/internal/xml.go
@@ -89,6 +89,13 @@ func (val *RawXMLValue) Decode(v interface{}) error {
 	return xml.NewTokenDecoder(val.TokenReader()).Decode(&v)
 }
 
+func (val *RawXMLValue) XMLName() (name xml.Name, ok bool) {
+	if start, ok := val.tok.(xml.StartElement); ok {
+		return start.Name, true
+	}
+	return xml.Name{}, false
+}
+
 // TokenReader returns a stream of tokens for the XML value.
 func (val *RawXMLValue) TokenReader() xml.TokenReader {
 	if val.out != nil {
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index f6ab544..ab60026 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -135,99 +135,33 @@ func (b *backend) propfind(propfind *internal.Propfind, name string, fi os.FileI
 }
 
 func (b *backend) propfindFile(propfind *internal.Propfind, name string, fi os.FileInfo) (*internal.Response, error) {
-	resp := internal.NewOKResponse(name)
+	props := make(map[xml.Name]internal.PropfindFunc)
 
-	if propfind.PropName != nil {
-		for xmlName, f := range liveProps {
-			emptyVal := internal.NewRawXMLElement(xmlName, nil, nil)
-
-			_, err := f(b, name, fi)
-			if err != nil {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if err := resp.EncodeProp(http.StatusOK, emptyVal); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-	} else if propfind.AllProp != nil {
-		// TODO: add support for propfind.Include
-		for _, f := range liveProps {
-			val, err := f(b, name, fi)
-			if err != nil {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if err := resp.EncodeProp(http.StatusOK, val); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-	} else if prop := propfind.Prop; prop != nil {
-		for _, xmlName := range prop.XMLNames() {
-			emptyVal := internal.NewRawXMLElement(xmlName, nil, nil)
-
-			var code int
-			var val interface{} = emptyVal
-			f, ok := liveProps[xmlName]
-			if ok {
-				if v, err := f(b, name, fi); err != nil {
-					// TODO: don't throw away error message here
-					if httpErr, ok := err.(*internal.HTTPError); ok {
-						code = httpErr.Code
-					} else {
-						code = http.StatusInternalServerError
-					}
-				} else {
-					code = http.StatusOK
-					val = v
-				}
-			} else {
-				code = http.StatusNotFound
-			}
-
-			if err := resp.EncodeProp(code, val); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		return nil, internal.HTTPErrorf(http.StatusBadRequest, "webdav: propfind request missing propname, allprop or prop element")
-	}
-
-	return resp, nil
-}
-
-type PropfindFunc func(b *backend, name string, fi os.FileInfo) (interface{}, error)
-
-var liveProps = map[xml.Name]PropfindFunc{
-	{"DAV:", "resourcetype"}: func(b *backend, name string, fi os.FileInfo) (interface{}, error) {
+	props[xml.Name{"DAV:", "resourcetype"}] = func(*internal.RawXMLValue) (interface{}, error) {
 		var types []xml.Name
 		if fi.IsDir() {
 			types = append(types, internal.CollectionName)
 		}
 		return internal.NewResourceType(types...), nil
-	},
-	{"DAV:", "getcontentlength"}: func(b *backend, name string, fi os.FileInfo) (interface{}, error) {
-		if fi.IsDir() {
-			return nil, &internal.HTTPError{Code: http.StatusNotFound}
+	}
+
+	if !fi.IsDir() {
+		props[xml.Name{"DAV:", "getcontentlength"}] = func(*internal.RawXMLValue) (interface{}, error) {
+			return &internal.GetContentLength{Length: fi.Size()}, nil
 		}
-		return &internal.GetContentLength{Length: fi.Size()}, nil
-	},
-	{"DAV:", "getcontenttype"}: func(b *backend, name string, fi os.FileInfo) (interface{}, error) {
-		if fi.IsDir() {
-			return nil, &internal.HTTPError{Code: http.StatusNotFound}
+		props[xml.Name{"DAV:", "getcontenttype"}] = func(*internal.RawXMLValue) (interface{}, error) {
+			t := mime.TypeByExtension(path.Ext(name))
+			if t == "" {
+				// TODO: use http.DetectContentType
+				return nil, &internal.HTTPError{Code: http.StatusNotFound}
+			}
+			return &internal.GetContentType{Type: t}, nil
 		}
-		t := mime.TypeByExtension(path.Ext(name))
-		if t == "" {
-			// TODO: use http.DetectContentType
-			return nil, &internal.HTTPError{Code: http.StatusNotFound}
+		props[xml.Name{"DAV:", "getlastmodified"}] = func(*internal.RawXMLValue) (interface{}, error) {
+			return &internal.GetLastModified{LastModified: internal.Time(fi.ModTime())}, nil
 		}
-		return &internal.GetContentType{Type: t}, nil
-	},
-	{"DAV:", "getlastmodified"}: func(b *backend, name string, fi os.FileInfo) (interface{}, error) {
-		if fi.IsDir() {
-			return nil, &internal.HTTPError{Code: http.StatusNotFound}
-		}
-		return &internal.GetLastModified{LastModified: internal.Time(fi.ModTime())}, nil
-	},
-	// TODO: getetag
+		// TODO: getetag
+	}
+
+	return internal.NewPropfindResponse(name, propfind, props)
 }