diff --git a/scripts/qapi/common.py b/scripts/qapi/common.py
index b35318b72cf..a417b6029c8 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/common.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/common.py
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
 import re
 
 
+EATSPACE = '\033EATSPACE.'
+POINTER_SUFFIX = ' *' + EATSPACE
+_C_NAME_TRANS = str.maketrans('.-', '__')
+
+
 # ENUMName -> ENUM_NAME, EnumName1 -> ENUM_NAME1
 # ENUM_NAME -> ENUM_NAME, ENUM_NAME1 -> ENUM_NAME1, ENUM_Name2 -> ENUM_NAME2
 # ENUM24_Name -> ENUM24_NAME
@@ -42,9 +47,6 @@ def c_enum_const(type_name, const_name, prefix=None):
     return camel_to_upper(type_name) + '_' + c_name(const_name, False).upper()
 
 
-c_name_trans = str.maketrans('.-', '__')
-
-
 # Map @name to a valid C identifier.
 # If @protect, avoid returning certain ticklish identifiers (like
 # C keywords) by prepending 'q_'.
@@ -82,17 +84,13 @@ def c_name(name, protect=True):
                      'not_eq', 'or', 'or_eq', 'xor', 'xor_eq'])
     # namespace pollution:
     polluted_words = set(['unix', 'errno', 'mips', 'sparc', 'i386'])
-    name = name.translate(c_name_trans)
+    name = name.translate(_C_NAME_TRANS)
     if protect and (name in c89_words | c99_words | c11_words | gcc_words
                     | cpp_words | polluted_words):
         return 'q_' + name
     return name
 
 
-eatspace = '\033EATSPACE.'
-pointer_suffix = ' *' + eatspace
-
-
 class Indentation:
     """
     Indentation level management.
@@ -132,12 +130,12 @@ def decrease(self, amount: int = 4) -> None:
 
 
 # Generate @code with @kwds interpolated.
-# Obey indent, and strip eatspace.
+# Obey indent, and strip EATSPACE.
 def cgen(code, **kwds):
     raw = code % kwds
     if indent:
         raw = re.sub(r'^(?!(#|$))', str(indent), raw, flags=re.MULTILINE)
-    return re.sub(re.escape(eatspace) + r' *', '', raw)
+    return re.sub(re.escape(EATSPACE) + r' *', '', raw)
 
 
 def mcgen(code, **kwds):
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/schema.py b/scripts/qapi/schema.py
index cfc52e1ae44..74c6b96d391 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/schema.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/schema.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 
-from .common import c_name, pointer_suffix
+from .common import POINTER_SUFFIX, c_name
 from .error import QAPIError, QAPISemError
 from .expr import check_exprs
 from .parser import QAPISchemaParser
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ def is_implicit(self):
         return True
 
     def c_type(self):
-        return c_name(self.name) + pointer_suffix
+        return c_name(self.name) + POINTER_SUFFIX
 
     def json_type(self):
         return 'array'
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ def c_name(self):
 
     def c_type(self):
         assert not self.is_implicit()
-        return c_name(self.name) + pointer_suffix
+        return c_name(self.name) + POINTER_SUFFIX
 
     def c_unboxed_type(self):
         return c_name(self.name)
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ def connect_doc(self, doc=None):
             v.connect_doc(doc)
 
     def c_type(self):
-        return c_name(self.name) + pointer_suffix
+        return c_name(self.name) + POINTER_SUFFIX
 
     def json_type(self):
         return 'value'
@@ -896,7 +896,7 @@ def _def_builtin_type(self, name, json_type, c_type):
         self._make_array_type(name, None)
 
     def _def_predefineds(self):
-        for t in [('str',    'string',  'char' + pointer_suffix),
+        for t in [('str',    'string',  'char' + POINTER_SUFFIX),
                   ('number', 'number',  'double'),
                   ('int',    'int',     'int64_t'),
                   ('int8',   'int',     'int8_t'),
@@ -909,8 +909,8 @@ def _def_predefineds(self):
                   ('uint64', 'int',     'uint64_t'),
                   ('size',   'int',     'uint64_t'),
                   ('bool',   'boolean', 'bool'),
-                  ('any',    'value',   'QObject' + pointer_suffix),
-                  ('null',   'null',    'QNull' + pointer_suffix)]:
+                  ('any',    'value',   'QObject' + POINTER_SUFFIX),
+                  ('null',   'null',    'QNull' + POINTER_SUFFIX)]:
             self._def_builtin_type(*t)
         self.the_empty_object_type = QAPISchemaObjectType(
             'q_empty', None, None, None, None, None, [], None)
