diff --git a/dive.h b/dive.h
index 91694f8c3..1028a6919 100644
--- a/dive.h
+++ b/dive.h
@@ -532,6 +532,9 @@ extern void flush_divelist(struct dive *dive);
 extern void set_dc_nickname(struct dive *dive);
 extern const char *get_dc_nickname(const char *model, uint32_t deviceid);
 extern void remember_dc(const char *model, uint32_t deviceid, const char *nickname, gboolean change_conf);
+extern gboolean dc_was_saved(struct divecomputer *dc);
+extern void mark_dc_saved(struct divecomputer *dc);
+extern void clear_dc_saved_status(void);
 
 #define DIVE_ERROR_PARSE 1
 
diff --git a/gtk-gui.c b/gtk-gui.c
index 60a1f18d3..a6ed46942 100644
--- a/gtk-gui.c
+++ b/gtk-gui.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct dcnicknamelist {
 	const char *model;
 	uint32_t deviceid;
 	struct dcnicknamelist *next;
+	gboolean saved;
 };
 static struct dcnicknamelist *nicknamelist;
 char *nicknamestring;
@@ -2078,6 +2079,29 @@ const char *get_dc_nickname(const char *model, uint32_t deviceid)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+gboolean dc_was_saved(struct divecomputer *dc)
+{
+	struct dcnicknamelist *nn_entry = get_dc_nicknameentry(dc->model, dc->deviceid);
+	return nn_entry && nn_entry->saved;
+}
+
+void mark_dc_saved(struct divecomputer *dc)
+{
+	struct dcnicknamelist *nn_entry = get_dc_nicknameentry(dc->model, dc->deviceid);
+	if (nn_entry)
+		nn_entry->saved = TRUE;
+}
+
+void clear_dc_saved_status()
+{
+	struct dcnicknamelist *nn_entry = nicknamelist;
+
+	while (nn_entry) {
+		nn_entry->saved = FALSE;
+		nn_entry = nn_entry->next;
+	}
+}
+
 /* do we have a DIFFERENT divecomputer of the same model? */
 static struct dcnicknamelist *get_different_dc_nicknameentry(const char *model, int deviceid)
 {
diff --git a/save-xml.c b/save-xml.c
index 0cfc7ccfd..c85f66408 100644
--- a/save-xml.c
+++ b/save-xml.c
@@ -461,36 +461,27 @@ static void save_trip(FILE *f, dive_trip_t *trip)
 	fprintf(f, "</trip>\n");
 }
 
-static char *add_dc_to_string(char *dc_xml, struct divecomputer *dc)
+static void save_dc_if_needed(FILE *f, struct divecomputer *dc)
 {
-	char *pattern, *tmp;
 	const char *nickname;
-	int len;
 
 	/* we have no dc or no model or no deviceid information... nothing to do here */
 	if (!dc || !dc->model || !*dc->model || !dc->deviceid)
-		return dc_xml;
+		return;
 
+	if (dc_was_saved(dc))
+		return;
+
+	mark_dc_saved(dc);
 	nickname = get_dc_nickname(dc->model, dc->deviceid);
 	/* We have no nickname, or it is the same as the model ID - nothing interesting */
 	if (!nickname || !*nickname || !strcmp(dc->model, nickname))
-		return dc_xml;
+		return;
 
-	len = sizeof(" model='' deviceid=''") + strlen(dc->model) + 8;
-	pattern = malloc(len);
-	snprintf(pattern, len, " model='%s' deviceid='%08x'", dc->model, dc->deviceid);
-	if (dc_xml && strstr(dc_xml, pattern)) {
-		/* already have that one */
-		free(pattern);
-		return dc_xml;
-	}
-
-	len += strlen(dc_xml) + strlen(nickname) + sizeof("<divecomputerid nickname=''/>\n");
-	tmp = malloc(len);
-	snprintf(tmp, len, "%s<divecomputerid%s nickname='%s'/>\n", dc_xml, pattern, nickname);
-	free(pattern);
-	free(dc_xml);
-	return tmp;
+	fprintf(f, "<divecomputerid model='%s' deviceid='%08x'", dc->model, dc->deviceid);
+	show_utf8(f, nickname, " nickname='", "'", 1);
+	fprintf(f, "/>\n");
+	return;
 }
 
 #define VERSION 2
@@ -500,7 +491,6 @@ void save_dives(const char *filename)
 	int i;
 	struct dive *dive;
 	dive_trip_t *trip;
-	char *dc_xml = strdup("");
 
 	FILE *f = g_fopen(filename, "w");
 
@@ -514,11 +504,10 @@ void save_dives(const char *filename)
 	for_each_dive(i, dive) {
 		struct divecomputer *dc = &dive->dc;
 		while (dc) {
-			dc_xml = add_dc_to_string(dc_xml, dc);
+			save_dc_if_needed(f, dc);
 			dc = dc->next;
 		}
 	}
-	fprintf(f, dc_xml);
 	fprintf(f, "</settings>\n<dives>\n");
 
 	for (trip = dive_trip_list; trip != NULL; trip = trip->next)