diff --git a/benedict/dicts/keylist/keylist_util.py b/benedict/dicts/keylist/keylist_util.py
index 0bfbec9..5a872fb 100644
--- a/benedict/dicts/keylist/keylist_util.py
+++ b/benedict/dicts/keylist/keylist_util.py
@@ -9,46 +9,33 @@ def _get_index(key):
     return None
 
 
-def _get_item_value(item, key):
+def _get_item_key_and_value(item, key):
     if type_util.is_list(item):
         index = _get_index(key)
         if index is not None:
-            return item[index]
+            return (index, item[index], )
     elif type_util.is_dict(item):
-        return item[key]
+        return (key, item[key], )
     raise KeyError
 
 
+def _get_or_new_item_value(item, key, subkey):
+    try:
+        item_key, item_value = _get_item_key_and_value(item, key)
+        if not type_util.is_dict_or_list(item_value):
+            raise TypeError
+    except (IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ):
+        item_value = _new_item_value(subkey)
+        item[key] = item_value
+    return item_value
+
+
 def _new_item_value(key):
     index = _get_index(key)
     return {} if index is None else []
 
 
-def get_item(d, keys):
-    items = get_items(d, keys)
-    return items[-1] if items else (None, None, None, )
-
-
-def get_items(d, keys):
-    items = []
-    item = d
-    value = None
-    for key in keys:
-        try:
-            value = _get_item_value(item, key)
-            if type_util.is_list(item):
-                index = _get_index(key)
-                items.append((item, index, value, ))
-            else:
-                items.append((item, key, value, ))
-            item = value
-        except (IndexError, KeyError, ):
-            items.append((None, None, None, ))
-            break
-    return items
-
-
-def set_item_value(item, key, value):
+def _set_item_value(item, key, value):
     index = _get_index(key)
     if index is not None:
         try:
@@ -62,6 +49,26 @@ def set_item_value(item, key, value):
         item[key] = value
 
 
+def get_item(d, keys):
+    items = get_items(d, keys)
+    return items[-1] if items else (None, None, None, )
+
+
+def get_items(d, keys):
+    items = []
+    item = d
+    value = None
+    for key in keys:
+        try:
+            item_key, item_value = _get_item_key_and_value(item, key)
+            items.append((item, item_key, item_value, ))
+            item = item_value
+        except (IndexError, KeyError, ):
+            items.append((None, None, None, ))
+            break
+    return items
+
+
 def set_item(d, keys, value):
     item = d
     i = 0
@@ -69,16 +76,8 @@ def set_item(d, keys, value):
     while i < j:
         key = keys[i]
         if i < (j - 1):
-            try:
-                subitem = _get_item_value(item, key)
-                if not type_util.is_dict_or_list(subitem):
-                    raise TypeError
-            except (IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ):
-                subkey = keys[i + 1]
-                subitem = item[key] = _new_item_value(subkey)
-            item = subitem
+            item = _get_or_new_item_value(item, key, keys[i + 1])
             i += 1
             continue
-        set_item_value(item, key, value)
+        _set_item_value(item, key, value)
         break
-