diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
index 0de39d9b106..d7174cb4e98 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Export-Package: org.eclipse.cdt.core,
  org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core;
   x-friends:="org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.cxx,
    org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core,
+   org.eclipse.cdt.dsf,
    org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb,
    org.eclipse.cdt.make.core,
    org.eclipse.cdt.make.ui,
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/XmlUtil.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/XmlUtil.java
index af9095b8bd4..f89e557ec04 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/XmlUtil.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/XmlUtil.java
@@ -292,16 +292,12 @@ public class XmlUtil {
 	 */
 	public static void serializeXml(Document doc, URI uriLocation, String lineSeparator)
 			throws IOException, TransformerException, CoreException {
-		XmlUtil.prettyFormat(doc);
-
 		java.io.File storeFile = new java.io.File(uriLocation);
 		if (!storeFile.exists()) {
 			storeFile.createNewFile();
 		}
 
-		String utfString = new String(toByteArray(doc), ENCODING_UTF_8);
-		utfString = XmlUtil.replaceLineSeparatorInternal(utfString, lineSeparator);
-		utfString = XmlUtil.insertNewlineAfterXMLVersionTag(utfString, lineSeparator);
+		String utfString = toString(doc, lineSeparator);
 
 		FileOutputStream output = getFileOutputStreamWorkaround(storeFile);
 		output.write(utfString.getBytes(ENCODING_UTF_8));
@@ -351,8 +347,6 @@ public class XmlUtil {
 	 * @throws CoreException if something goes wrong.
 	 */
 	private static byte[] toByteArray(Document doc) throws CoreException {
-		XmlUtil.prettyFormat(doc);
-
 		try {
 			ByteArrayOutputStream stream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
 			Transformer transformer = TransformerFactory.newInstance().newTransformer();
@@ -420,13 +414,9 @@ public class XmlUtil {
 	 * @throws CoreException if something goes wrong.
 	 */
 	public static void serializeXml(Document doc, IFile file) throws CoreException {
-		XmlUtil.prettyFormat(doc);
-
 		try {
-			String utfString = new String(toByteArray(doc), ENCODING_UTF_8);
 			String lineSeparator = Util.getLineSeparator(file);
-			utfString = XmlUtil.replaceLineSeparatorInternal(utfString, lineSeparator);
-			utfString = XmlUtil.insertNewlineAfterXMLVersionTag(utfString, lineSeparator);
+			String utfString = toString(doc, lineSeparator);
 			byte[] newContents = utfString.getBytes(ENCODING_UTF_8);
 			InputStream input = new ByteArrayInputStream(newContents);
 
@@ -466,12 +456,36 @@ public class XmlUtil {
 
 	/**
 	 * Serialize XML Document into a string.
+	 * Note: This will return a non-pretty formatted string
 	 *
 	 * @param doc - DOM Document to serialize.
 	 * @return XML as a String.
 	 * @throws CoreException if something goes wrong.
 	 */
 	public static String toString(Document doc) throws CoreException {
-		return new String(toByteArray(doc));
+		try {
+			return new String(toByteArray(doc), ENCODING_UTF_8);
+		} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+			throw new CoreException(CCorePlugin.createStatus(Messages.XmlUtil_InternalErrorSerializing, e));
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Serialize XML Document into a pretty formatted string.
+	 * Note: This will return a pretty formatted string
+	 *
+	 * @param doc - DOM Document to serialize.
+	 * @param lineSeparator - line separator
+	 * @return XML as a pretty formatted String.
+	 * @throws CoreException if something goes wrong.
+	 */
+	public static String toString(Document doc, String lineSeparator) throws CoreException {
+		XmlUtil.prettyFormat(doc);
+
+		String utfString = toString(doc);
+		utfString = XmlUtil.replaceLineSeparatorInternal(utfString, lineSeparator);
+		utfString = XmlUtil.insertNewlineAfterXMLVersionTag(utfString, lineSeparator);
+
+		return utfString;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
index c0f8e14f2e7..65e543e8dbf 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.IGDBMemory;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.IGDBMemory2;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.DsfServices;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.DsfSession;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.XmlUtil;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IAdaptable;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
@@ -445,7 +446,7 @@ public class GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval extends DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval implements
 			}
 		}
 		document.appendChild(expressionList);
-		return DebugPlugin.serializeDocument(document);
+		return XmlUtil.toString(document);
 	}
 
 	/* (non-Javadoc)
diff --git a/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF b/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
index fc444751fd0..0e38648a9cb 100644
--- a/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+++ b/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
 Bundle-Name: %pluginName
 Bundle-Vendor: %providerName
 Bundle-SymbolicName: org.eclipse.cdt.dsf;singleton:=true
-Bundle-Version: 2.8.200.qualifier
+Bundle-Version: 2.8.300.qualifier
 Bundle-Activator: org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.internal.DsfPlugin
 Bundle-Localization: plugin
 Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.core.runtime,
diff --git a/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/model/DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval.java b/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/model/DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
index 89957850042..7d2488024c3 100644
--- a/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/model/DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
+++ b/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/model/DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.internal.DsfPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.DsfServices;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.DsfSession;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.IDsfService;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.XmlUtil;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IAdaptable;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
@@ -321,7 +322,7 @@ public class DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval extends PlatformObject implements IMemoryBl
 			}
 		}
 		document.appendChild(expressionList);
-		return DebugPlugin.serializeDocument(document);
+		return XmlUtil.toString(document);
 	}
 
 	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////