diff --git a/osc/core.py b/osc/core.py
index 17d1698a..3fa2a9ef 100755
--- a/osc/core.py
+++ b/osc/core.py
@@ -1377,6 +1377,20 @@ def checkout_package(apiurl, project, package, revision=None):
     os.chdir(olddir)
 
 
+def replace_pkg_meta(pkgmeta, new_name, new_prj):
+    """
+    update pkgmeta with new new_name and new_prj and set calling user as the
+    only maintainer
+    """
+    root = ET.fromstring(''.join(pkgmeta))
+    root.set('name', new_name)
+    root.set('project', new_prj)
+    for person in root.findall('person'):
+        root.remove(person)
+    ET.SubElement(root, 'person',
+                  userid = conf.config['user'], role = 'maintainer')
+    return ET.tostring(root)
+
 def link_pac(src_project, src_package, dst_project, dst_package):
     """
     create a linked package
@@ -1385,18 +1399,7 @@ def link_pac(src_project, src_package, dst_project, dst_package):
     """
 
     src_meta = show_package_meta(conf.config['apiurl'], src_project, src_package)
-
-    # replace package name and username
-    # using a string buffer
-    # and create the package
-    tree = ET.parse(StringIO(''.join(src_meta)))
-    root = tree.getroot()
-    root.set('name', dst_package)
-    root.set('project', dst_project)
-    tree.find('person').set('userid', conf.config['user'])
-    buf = StringIO()
-    tree.write(buf)
-    src_meta = buf.getvalue()
+    src_meta = replace_pkg_meta(src_meta, dst_package, dst_project)
 
     edit_meta('pkg',
               path_args=(dst_project, dst_package), 
@@ -1431,18 +1434,7 @@ def aggregate_pac(src_project, src_package, dst_project, dst_package):
     """
 
     src_meta = show_package_meta(conf.config['apiurl'], src_project, src_package)
-
-    # replace package name and username
-    # using a string buffer
-    # and create the package
-    tree = ET.parse(StringIO(''.join(src_meta)))
-    root = tree.getroot()
-    root.set('name', dst_package)
-    root.set('project', dst_project)
-    tree.find('person').set('userid', conf.config['user'])
-    buf = StringIO()
-    tree.write(buf)
-    src_meta = buf.getvalue()
+    src_meta = replace_pkg_meta(src_meta, dst_package, dst_project)
 
     edit_meta('pkg',
               path_args=(dst_project, dst_package), 
@@ -1477,17 +1469,7 @@ def copy_pac(src_apiurl, src_project, src_package,
     import tempfile
 
     src_meta = show_package_meta(src_apiurl, src_project, src_package)
-
-    # replace project and package name
-    # using a string buffer
-    # and create the package
-    tree = ET.parse(StringIO(''.join(src_meta)))
-    root = tree.getroot()
-    root.set('name', dst_package)
-    root.set('project', dst_project)
-    buf = StringIO()
-    tree.write(buf)
-    src_meta = buf.getvalue()
+    src_meta = replace_pkg_meta(src_meta, dst_package, dst_project)
 
     print 'Sending meta data...'
     u = makeurl(dst_apiurl, ['source', dst_project, dst_package, '_meta'])