diff --git a/misc/config_tools/library/common.py b/misc/config_tools/library/common.py
index 4a9143f9b..2f17201ab 100644
--- a/misc/config_tools/library/common.py
+++ b/misc/config_tools/library/common.py
@@ -191,10 +191,10 @@ def get_xml_attrib(config_file, attrib):
 def count_nodes(xpath, etree):
     return int(etree.xpath(f"count({xpath})"))
 
-def get_text(xpath, etree):
-    result = etree.xpath(f"{xpath}/text()")
-    assert len(result) == 1, "Internal error: cannot get texts from multiple nodes at a time"
-    return result[0]
+def get_node(xpath, etree):
+    result = etree.xpath(f"{xpath}")
+    assert len(result) <= 1, f"Internal error: multiple element nodes are found for {xpath}"
+    return result[0] if len(result) == 1 else None
 
 def update_text(xpath, value, etree, overwrite=False):
     result = etree.xpath(f"{xpath}")
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def update_text(xpath, value, etree, overwrite=False):
     if overwrite or not result[0].text:
         result[0].text = str(value)
 
-def append_node(xpath, value, etree):
+def append_node(xpath, value, etree, **attribute):
     # Look for an existing ancestor node
     parts = xpath.split("/")
     ancestor_level = 1
@@ -220,7 +220,11 @@ def append_node(xpath, value, etree):
         child = lxml.etree.Element(tag)
         ancestor.append(child)
         ancestor = child
-    child.text = str(value)
+    if value:
+        child.text = str(value)
+    for key, value in attribute.items():
+        child.set(key, value)
+    return ancestor
 
 def get_board_name():
     """
diff --git a/misc/config_tools/static_allocators/hv_ram.py b/misc/config_tools/static_allocators/hv_ram.py
index d5392ae4d..eb7cee2bb 100644
--- a/misc/config_tools/static_allocators/hv_ram.py
+++ b/misc/config_tools/static_allocators/hv_ram.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def fn(board_etree, scenario_etree, allocation_etree):
             post_launched_vm_num += 1
     hv_ram_size = common.HV_BASE_RAM_SIZE + common.POST_LAUNCHED_VM_RAM_SIZE * post_launched_vm_num
 
-    ivshmem_enabled = common.get_text("//IVSHMEM_ENABLED", scenario_etree)
+    ivshmem_enabled = common.get_node("//IVSHMEM_ENABLED/text()", scenario_etree)
     total_shm_size = 0
     if ivshmem_enabled == 'y':
         raw_shmem_regions = scenario_etree.xpath("//IVSHMEM_REGION/text()")