diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 525690772..dec598444 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -722,6 +722,18 @@ sub add_tunnel_rule( $$ ) {
     insert_rule1( $chainref, $chainref->{new}++, $rule );
 }
 
+#
+# Adjust reference counts after moving a rule from $name1 to $name2
+#
+sub adjust_reference_counts( $$$ ) {
+    my ($toref, $name1, $name2) = @_;
+
+    if ( $toref ) {
+	delete $toref->{references}{$name1} unless --$toref->{references}{$name1} > 0;
+	$toref->{references}{$name2}++;
+    }
+}
+
 #
 # Move the rules from one chain to another
 #
@@ -744,13 +756,7 @@ sub move_rules( $$ ) {
 	$name1 =~ s/\+/\\+/;
 
 	for ( @{$chain1->{rules}} ) {
-	    if ( / -[jg] ([^\s]+)\b/ ) {
-		my $toref =  $tableref->{$1};
-		if ( $toref ) {
-		    delete $toref->{references}{$name1} unless --$toref->{references}{$name1} > 0;
-		    $toref->{references}{$name2}++;
-		}
-	    }
+	    adjust_reference_counts( $tableref->{$1}, $name1, $name2 ) if / -[jg] ([^\s]+)\b/;
 	}	    
 
 	if ( $debug ) {
@@ -801,14 +807,8 @@ sub copy_rules( $$ ) {
     }
 
     for ( @rules ) {
-	if ( / -[jg] ([^\s]+)\b/ ) {
-	    my $toref =  $tableref->{$1};
-	    if ( $toref ) {
-		delete $toref->{references}{$name1} unless --$toref->{references}{$name1} > 0;
-		$toref->{references}{$name2}++;
-	    }
-	}
-    }	    	
+	adjust_reference_counts( $tableref->{$1}, $name1, $name2 ) if / -[jg] ([^\s]+)\b/;
+    }
 
     push @$rules, @rules;
     #