diff --git a/nse_openssl.cc b/nse_openssl.cc
index a3f5aa34e..84b9d8287 100644
--- a/nse_openssl.cc
+++ b/nse_openssl.cc
@@ -30,17 +30,22 @@ typedef struct bignum_data {
   BIGNUM * bn;
 } bignum_data_t;
 
+static int nse_pushbn( lua_State *L, BIGNUM *num )
+{
+  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
+  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
+  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
+  data->bn = num;
+  return 1;
+}
+
 static int l_bignum_bin2bn( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_bin2bn( string s ) */
 {
   size_t len;
   const unsigned char * s = (unsigned char *) luaL_checklstring( L, 1, &len );
   BIGNUM * num = BN_new();
   BN_bin2bn( s, len, num );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = num;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, num);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_dec2bn( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_dec2bn( string s ) */
@@ -48,11 +53,7 @@ static int l_bignum_dec2bn( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_dec2bn( string s ) */
   const char * s = luaL_checkstring( L, 1 );
   BIGNUM * num = BN_new();
   BN_dec2bn( &num, s );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = num;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, num);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_hex2bn( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_hex2bn( string s ) */
@@ -60,11 +61,7 @@ static int l_bignum_hex2bn( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_hex2bn( string s ) */
   const char * s = luaL_checkstring( L, 1 );
   BIGNUM * num = BN_new();
   BN_hex2bn( &num, s );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = num;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, num);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_rand( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_rand( number bits ) */
@@ -72,11 +69,7 @@ static int l_bignum_rand( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_rand( number bits ) */
   size_t bits = luaL_checkint( L, 1 );
   BIGNUM * num = BN_new();
   BN_rand( num, bits, -1, 0 );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = num;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, num);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_pseudo_rand( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_pseudo_rand( number bits ) */
@@ -84,11 +77,7 @@ static int l_bignum_pseudo_rand( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_pseudo_rand( number b
   size_t bits = luaL_checkint( L, 1 );
   BIGNUM * num = BN_new();
   BN_pseudo_rand( num, bits, -1, 0 );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = num;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, num);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_mod_exp( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_mod_exp( BIGNUM a, BIGNUM p, BIGNUM m ) */
@@ -100,11 +89,7 @@ static int l_bignum_mod_exp( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_mod_exp( BIGNUM a, BIGNUM
   BN_CTX * ctx = BN_CTX_new();
   BN_mod_exp( result, a->bn, p->bn, m->bn, ctx );
   BN_CTX_free( ctx );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = result;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, result);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_add( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_add( BIGNUM a, BIGNUM b ) */
@@ -113,11 +98,7 @@ static int l_bignum_add( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_add( BIGNUM a, BIGNUM b ) */
   bignum_data_t * b = (bignum_data_t *) luaL_checkudata(L, 2, "BIGNUM");
   BIGNUM * result = BN_new();
   BN_add( result, a->bn, b->bn );
-  bignum_data_t * data = (bignum_data_t *) lua_newuserdata( L, sizeof(bignum_data_t));
-  luaL_getmetatable( L, "BIGNUM" );
-  lua_setmetatable( L, -2 );
-  data->bn = result;
-  return 1;
+  return nse_pushbn(L, result);
 }
 
 static int l_bignum_num_bits( lua_State *L ) /** bignum_num_bits( BIGNUM bn ) */