diff --git a/util.cpp b/util.cpp
index a2aff099..f98e7d60 100644
--- a/util.cpp
+++ b/util.cpp
@@ -207,11 +207,10 @@ cld exp_parser::parse(int prio) {
     cld c = rparse(0);
     force_eat(")");
 
-    if(extra_params.count("angleunit")) {    
-      
-      a *= extra_params["angleunit"];
-      b *= extra_params["angleunit"];
-      c *= extra_params["angleunit"];
+    IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, extra_params, "angleunit") {
+      a *= it->second;
+      b *= it->second;
+      c *= it->second;
       }
 
     return edge_of_triangle_with_angles(real(a), real(b), real(c));
@@ -238,14 +237,14 @@ cld exp_parser::parse(int prio) {
     test.compute_sum();
     test.compute_geometry();
     res = test.edgelength;
-    if(extra_params.count("distunit"))
-      res /= extra_params["distunit"];
+    IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, extra_params, "distunit")
+      res /= it->second;
     }
   #endif
   else if(eat("regangle(")) {
     cld edgelen = parse(0);
-    if(extra_params.count("distunit")) {
-      edgelen = edgelen * extra_params["distunit"];
+    IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, extra_params, "distunit") {
+      edgelen = edgelen * it->second;
       }
     
     force_eat(",");
@@ -261,14 +260,14 @@ cld exp_parser::parse(int prio) {
     
     if(arb::legacy) {
       res = M_PI - result;
-      if(extra_params.count("angleofs"))
-        res -= extra_params["angleofs"];
+      IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, extra_params, "angleofs")
+        res -= it->second;
       }
     else
       res = result;
 
-    if(extra_params.count("angleunit"))
-      res /= extra_params["angleunit"];    
+    IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, extra_params, "angleunit")
+      res /= it->second;
     }
   else if(eat("test(")) {
     res = parsepar();
@@ -319,8 +318,8 @@ cld exp_parser::parse(int prio) {
   else if(next() == '(') at++, res = parsepar(); 
   else {
     string number = next_token();
-    if(extra_params.count(number)) res = extra_params[number];
-    else if(params.count(number)) res = params[number]->get_cld();
+    IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, extra_params, number) res = it->second;
+    else IF_KEY_EXISTS(it, params, number) res = it->second->get_cld();
     else if(number == "e") res = exp(1);
     else if(number == "i") res = cld(0, 1);
     else if(number == "p" || number == "pi") res = M_PI;