diff --git a/gentest.py b/gentest.py
index 79025f83..179c872b 100755
--- a/gentest.py
+++ b/gentest.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ extra_post_call = {
    "xmlAddPrevSibling": 
        "if (ret_val == NULL) { xmlFreeNode(elem) ; elem = NULL ; }",
    "xmlDocSetRootElement": 
-       "if (doc == NULL) { xmlFreeNode(root) ; root = NULL ; }",
+       "if (ret_val == NULL) { xmlFreeNode(root) ; root = NULL ; }",
    "xmlReplaceNode": 
        """if (cur != NULL) {
               xmlUnlinkNode(cur);
diff --git a/testapi.c b/testapi.c
index 35c74fa6..9b438f1f 100644
--- a/testapi.c
+++ b/testapi.c
@@ -19789,7 +19789,7 @@ test_xmlDocSetRootElement(void) {
         root = gen_xmlNodePtr_in(n_root, 1);
 
         ret_val = xmlDocSetRootElement(doc, root);
-        if (doc == NULL) { xmlFreeNode(root) ; root = NULL ; }
+        if (ret_val == NULL) { xmlFreeNode(root) ; root = NULL ; }
         desret_xmlNodePtr(ret_val);
         call_tests++;
         des_xmlDocPtr(n_doc, doc, 0);
diff --git a/tree.c b/tree.c
index 5fc36f98..be8485a5 100644
--- a/tree.c
+++ b/tree.c
@@ -5060,7 +5060,7 @@ xmlDocSetRootElement(xmlDocPtr doc, xmlNodePtr root) {
     xmlNodePtr old = NULL;
 
     if (doc == NULL) return(NULL);
-    if ((root == NULL) || (root->type == XML_NAMESPACE_DECL))
+    if ((root == NULL) || (root->type != XML_ELEMENT_NODE))
 	return(NULL);
     xmlUnlinkNode(root);
     xmlSetTreeDoc(root, doc);