diff --git a/tools/generate-docs-nm-property-infos.py b/tools/generate-docs-nm-property-infos.py
index 58764af37a..7286da8f20 100755
--- a/tools/generate-docs-nm-property-infos.py
+++ b/tools/generate-docs-nm-property-infos.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
 import os, re, sys
-import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 
 def get_setting_name(one_file):
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ def get_setting_name(one_file):
     return setting_name
 
 
-def scan_doc_comments(plugin, setting_node, file, start_tag, end_tag):
+def scan_doc_comments(plugin, outfile, file, start_tag, end_tag):
     data = []
     push_flag = 0
     try:
@@ -44,7 +43,7 @@ def scan_doc_comments(plugin, setting_node, file, start_tag, end_tag):
             push_flag = 0
             parsed_data = process_data(data)
             if parsed_data:
-                write_data(setting_node, parsed_data)
+                write_data(outfile, parsed_data)
             data = []
         elif push_flag == 1:
             data.append(line)
@@ -76,14 +75,14 @@ def process_data(data):
         if kwd_first_line_found:
             keyword = kwd_first_line_found.group(1)
             value = kwd_first_line_found.group(2) + " "
-            parsed_data[keyword] = value
+            parsed_data[keyword] = escape_xml_char(value)
         elif kwd_more_line_found:
             if not keyword:
                 print("Extra mess in a comment: %s" % (line))
                 exit(1)
             else:
                 value = kwd_more_line_found.group(1) + " "
-                parsed_data[keyword] += value
+                parsed_data[keyword] += escape_xml_char(value)
     for keyword in keywords:
         if keyword == "variable" and keyword not in parsed_data:
             parsed_data[keyword] = parsed_data["property"]
@@ -94,30 +93,27 @@ def process_data(data):
     return parsed_data
 
 
-def write_data(setting_node, parsed_data):
-    property_node = ET.SubElement(setting_node, "property")
-    property_node.set("name", parsed_data["property"])
-    property_node.set("variable", parsed_data["variable"])
-    property_node.set("format", parsed_data["format"])
-    property_node.set("values", parsed_data["values"])
-    property_node.set("default", parsed_data["default"])
-    property_node.set("example", parsed_data["example"])
-    property_node.set("description", parsed_data["description"])
+def write_data(outfile, parsed_data):
+    outfile.write(
+        '<property name="{0}" variable="{1}" format="{2}" values="{3}" default="{4}" example="{5}" description="{6}"></property>\n'.format(
+            parsed_data["property"],
+            parsed_data["variable"],
+            parsed_data["format"],
+            parsed_data["values"],
+            parsed_data["default"],
+            parsed_data["example"],
+            parsed_data["description"],
+        )
+    )
 
 
-def pretty_xml(element, newline, level=0):
-    if element:
-        if (element.text is None) or element.text.isspace():
-            element.text = newline
-        else:
-            element.text = newline + element.text.strip() + newline
-    temp = list(element)
-    for subelement in temp:
-        if temp.index(subelement) < (len(temp) - 1):
-            subelement.tail = newline
-        else:
-            subelement.tail = newline
-        pretty_xml(subelement, newline, level=level + 1)
+def escape_xml_char(text):
+    text = text.replace("&", "&amp;")
+    text = text.replace("<", "&lt;")
+    text = text.replace(">", "&gt;")
+    text = text.replace('"', "&quot;")
+
+    return text
 
 
 if len(sys.argv) < 4:
@@ -128,16 +124,22 @@ argv = list(sys.argv[1:])
 plugin, output, source_files = argv[0], argv[1], argv[2:]
 start_tag = "---" + plugin + "---"
 end_tag = "---end---"
-root_node = ET.Element("nm-setting-docs")
+outfile = open(output, mode="w")
+
+# write XML header
+outfile.write("<nm-setting-docs>\n")
+outfile.write("  ")
 
 for one_file in source_files:
     setting_name = get_setting_name(one_file)
     if setting_name:
-        setting_node = ET.SubElement(root_node, "setting", name=setting_name)
-        setting_node.text = "\n"
-        scan_doc_comments(plugin, setting_node, one_file, start_tag, end_tag)
+        outfile.write('<setting name="' + setting_name + '">\n')
+        scan_doc_comments(plugin, outfile, one_file, start_tag, end_tag)
+        outfile.write("</setting>\n")
 
-pretty_xml(root_node, "\n")
-root_node.text = "\n  "
 
-ET.ElementTree(root_node).write(output, short_empty_elements=False)
+# write XML footer
+outfile.write("</nm-setting-docs>")
+
+# close output file
+outfile.close()