diff --git a/plugins/xmlsave/src/xml_visitor.cc b/plugins/xmlsave/src/xml_visitor.cc
index 86f3a80..fda6438 100644
--- a/plugins/xmlsave/src/xml_visitor.cc
+++ b/plugins/xmlsave/src/xml_visitor.cc
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ void XMLVisitor::from_thread(xmlNodePtr parent, const Thread& obj) throw(Seriali
     Glib::ustring strLastsTime;
     to_string<int>(obj.get_base_priority(), strPriority);
     to_string<int>(obj.get_arrival_time(), strArrivalTime);
-    to_string<int>(obj.get_elapsed_time(), strLastsTime);
-    // get_elapsed_time() or get_total_cpu_time() ???
+    to_string<int>(obj.get_total_cpu_time(), strLastsTime);
+
     xmlNodePtr thread_node = xmlNewChild(parent, NULL, (const xmlChar *) "thread", NULL);
     xmlNewProp(thread_node, (const xmlChar *) "name", (const xmlChar *) obj.get_name().c_str());
     xmlNewProp(thread_node, (const xmlChar *) "priority", (const xmlChar *) strPriority.c_str());
diff --git a/src/backend/string_utils.cc b/src/backend/string_utils.cc
index 7d35a21..53b78cb 100644
--- a/src/backend/string_utils.cc
+++ b/src/backend/string_utils.cc
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ namespace sgpem
     if (tokens.size() != 1)
       throw domain_error(_("too few or too many tokens"));
 
+    // use the token, not the string, so whitespaces at the end of the string are
+    // not considered errors by the last test
     istringstream iss(tokens[0]);
     T result;
     
@@ -65,10 +67,10 @@ namespace sgpem
       throw domain_error(e.what());
     }
 
-    // disable exceptions, otherwise peek() will throw them!
-    // how useless!!!
+    // disable exceptions, otherwise peek() will throw them on eof!
     iss.exceptions(ios_base::goodbit);
 
+    // check if there is still stuff in the stream, there shouldn't
     if (iss.peek() != istringstream::traits_type::eof())
       throw domain_error(_("incorrect number format"));
 
@@ -85,6 +87,8 @@ namespace sgpem
     if (tokens.size() != 1)
       throw domain_error(_("too few or too many tokens"));
 
+    // use the token, not the string, so whitespaces at the end of the string are
+    // not considered errors by the last test
     istringstream iss(tokens[0]);
     bool value;
     
@@ -99,10 +103,10 @@ namespace sgpem
       throw domain_error(e.what());
     }
 
-    // disable exceptions, otherwise peek() will throw them!
-    // how useless!!!
+    // disable exceptions, otherwise peek() will throw them on eof!
     iss.exceptions(ios_base::goodbit);
 
+    // check if there is still stuff in the stream, there shouldn't
     if (iss.peek() != istringstream::traits_type::eof())
       throw domain_error(_("incorrect boolean"));