diff --git a/include/Template.h b/include/Template.h
index b8d7030197..d4763a7370 100644
--- a/include/Template.h
+++ b/include/Template.h
@@ -117,6 +117,14 @@ public:
         const string&        name,
         vector<Attribute *>& values);
 
+
+    /**
+     *  Removes an attribute from the template, and frees the attributes.
+     *    @param name of the attribute
+     *    @returns the number of attributes removed
+     */
+    virtual int erase(const string& name);
+
     /**
      *  Gets all the attributes with the given name.
      *    @param name the attribute name.
diff --git a/src/image/ImagePool.cc b/src/image/ImagePool.cc
index 05d37f7c5f..ddaf5c50f6 100644
--- a/src/image/ImagePool.cc
+++ b/src/image/ImagePool.cc
@@ -101,9 +101,7 @@ int ImagePool::allocate (
 
         char *  error_msg;
         int     rc;
-        int     num_attr;
 
-        vector<Attribute *>     attrs;
 
         // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Build a new Image object
@@ -130,19 +128,8 @@ int ImagePool::allocate (
             goto error_name;
         }
 
-        img->image_template.remove("NAME", attrs);
+        img->image_template.erase("NAME");
 
-        // Clear attrs
-        if ((num_attr = (int) attrs.size()) > 0)
-        {
-            for (int i = 0; i < num_attr ; i++)
-            {
-                if (attrs[i] != 0)
-                {
-                    delete attrs[i];
-                }
-            }
-        }
 
         img->get_template_attribute("TYPE", type);
 
@@ -152,20 +139,7 @@ int ImagePool::allocate (
         }
         else
         {
-            attrs.clear();
-            img->image_template.remove("TYPE", attrs);
-
-            // Clear attrs
-            if ((num_attr = (int) attrs.size()) > 0)
-            {
-                for (int i = 0; i < num_attr ; i++)
-                {
-                    if (attrs[i] != 0)
-                    {
-                        delete attrs[i];
-                    }
-                }
-            }
+            img->image_template.erase("TYPE");
         }
 
         img->get_template_attribute("ORIGINAL_PATH", original_path);
diff --git a/src/template/Template.cc b/src/template/Template.cc
index f6d9ab64fb..d13aab59bd 100644
--- a/src/template/Template.cc
+++ b/src/template/Template.cc
@@ -205,6 +205,33 @@ int Template::remove(const string& name, vector<Attribute *>& values)
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+int Template::erase(const string& name)
+{
+    int                     removed;
+    int                     num_attr;
+    vector<Attribute *>     attrs;
+
+    // Call remove
+    removed = remove(name, attrs);
+
+    // Clear attrs
+    if ((num_attr = (int) attrs.size()) > 0)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < num_attr ; i++)
+        {
+            if (attrs[i] != 0)
+            {
+                delete attrs[i];
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return removed;
+}
+
+/* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+/* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
 int Template::get(
     const string& name,
     vector<const Attribute*>& values) const