diff --git a/guix-jupyter-kernel.scm b/guix-jupyter-kernel.scm
index 75f28651e2648000f947f3dd18ba1d89535b601b..e8df84669157108ecfba9c04adbf7942a555cb24 100644
--- a/guix-jupyter-kernel.scm
+++ b/guix-jupyter-kernel.scm
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ NAME with MANIFEST."
                        (scm->json-string
                         `(("data"     .
                            (("text/html"
-                             . ,(sxml->html-string
+                             . ,(sxml->xml-string
                                  `(div
                                    "Running "
                                    ,(kernel-specs-display-name specs)
diff --git a/guix/jupyter/kernel.scm b/guix/jupyter/kernel.scm
index 9c0561294560ba013203b898656dc3eb07a24fb2..1fa7d684f42ebdeba23391bb7788034675bda84b 100644
--- a/guix/jupyter/kernel.scm
+++ b/guix/jupyter/kernel.scm
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ monadic value, a <kernel> connected to that process."
                          (scm->json-string
                           `(("data"
                              . (("text/html"
-                                 . ,(sxml->html-string shtml))))
+                                 . ,(sxml->xml-string shtml))))
                             ("metadata" . ())
                             ("transient"
                              . (("display_id" . ,display-id))))))
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ monadic value, a <kernel> connected to that process."
                        (scm->json-string
                         `(("data"
                            . (("text/html"
-                               . ,(sxml->html-string
+                               . ,(sxml->xml-string
                                    `(div "Preparing things...")))))
                           ("metadata" . ())
                           ("transient"
diff --git a/jupyter/kernels.scm b/jupyter/kernels.scm
index 6d4f7239b93e9fbfd397b4eb9e8007175593bada..b73edbdbc417ff140ea2abdec21a5269d60252d7 100644
--- a/jupyter/kernels.scm
+++ b/jupyter/kernels.scm
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             pub-busy
             pub-idle
 
-            sxml->html-string
+            sxml->xml-string
             reply-shtml
 
             close-kernel))
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ identity (bytevector)."
 ;; Reply.
 ;;
 
-(define (sxml->html-string sxml)
+(define (sxml->xml-string sxml)
   (call-with-output-string
     (lambda (port)
       (sxml->xml sxml port))))
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ identity (bytevector)."
 	(empty-object '())
 	(counter      (+ count 1))                ;execution counter
 
-        (html (sxml->html-string shtml))
+        (html (sxml->xml-string shtml))
         (send (lambda (socket type content)
                 (send-message kernel
                               (reply message type