diff --git a/depicts/wikibase.py b/depicts/wikibase.py
index 0cd846c..cd29195 100644
--- a/depicts/wikibase.py
+++ b/depicts/wikibase.py
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ def get_entity_label(entity):
     if len(label_values) == 1:
         return list(label_values)[0]
 
+def get_en_value(entity, key):
+    if 'en' in entity[key]:
+        return entity[key]['en']['value']
+
 def get_en_label(entity):
-    if 'en' in entity['labels']:
-        return entity['labels']['en']['value']
+    return get_en_value(entity, 'labels')
+
+def get_en_description(entity):
+    return get_en_value(entity, 'descriptions')
diff --git a/depicts/wikidata_edit.py b/depicts/wikidata_edit.py
index 30fbfbd..b9e1738 100644
--- a/depicts/wikidata_edit.py
+++ b/depicts/wikidata_edit.py
@@ -1,18 +1,9 @@
-from depicts import mediawiki
+from depicts import mediawiki, wikibase
 from depicts.model import DepictsItem
 
 def create_depicts_item(item_id):
     qid = f'Q{item_id}'
     entity = mediawiki.get_entity(qid)
-    if 'en' in entity['labels']:
-        label = entity['labels']['en']['value']
-    else:
-        label = None
-
-    if 'en' in entity['descriptions']:
-        description = entity['descriptions']['en']['value']
-    else:
-        description = None
 
     if 'en' in entity['aliases']:
         alt_labels = {alt['value'] for alt in entity['aliases']['en']}
@@ -20,9 +11,7 @@ def create_depicts_item(item_id):
         alt_labels = set()
 
     return DepictsItem(item_id=item_id,
-                       label=label,
-                       description=description,
+                       label=wikibase.get_en_label(entity),
+                       description=wikibase.get_en_description(entity),
                        alt_labels=alt_labels,
                        count=0)
-
-