diff --git a/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb b/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb
index a043cf2..c620cb0 100644
--- a/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb
+++ b/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ module Pacemaker
       "%s '%s'" % [self.class.description, name]
     end
 
+    def definition_indent
+      ' ' * 9
+    end
+
+    def continuation_line(text)
+      " \\\n#{definition_indent}#{text}"
+    end
+
     # Returns a single-quoted shell-escaped version of the definition
     # string, suitable for use in a command like:
     #
diff --git a/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive.rb b/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive.rb
index de16e9e..8a8359f 100644
--- a/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive.rb
+++ b/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive.rb
@@ -51,11 +51,10 @@ class Pacemaker::Resource::Primitive < Pacemaker::Resource
 
   def definition_string
     str = "#{TYPE} #{name} #{agent}"
-    indent = ' ' * 9
     %w(params meta op).each do |data_type|
       unless send(data_type).empty?
         data_string = send("#{data_type}_string")
-        str << " \\\n#{indent}#{data_string}"
+        str << continuation_line(data_string)
       else
       end
     end