diff --git a/tools/normalize_channels_yaml.py b/tools/normalize_channels_yaml.py
index 714b07794d..1c986affb7 100755
--- a/tools/normalize_channels_yaml.py
+++ b/tools/normalize_channels_yaml.py
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@
 
 import locale
 import sys
-import projectconfig_ruamellib
+import projectconfig_ruamellib as yaml
 
 
 def main():
-    yaml = projectconfig_ruamellib.YAML(strip=False)
     locale.setlocale(locale.LC_COLLATE, 'C')
 
     chandata = yaml.load(open('gerritbot/channels.yaml'))
diff --git a/tools/normalize_projects_yaml.py b/tools/normalize_projects_yaml.py
index f33f3affd0..2651b3a875 100755
--- a/tools/normalize_projects_yaml.py
+++ b/tools/normalize_projects_yaml.py
@@ -15,12 +15,11 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-import projectconfig_ruamellib
+import projectconfig_ruamellib as yaml
 
 
 def main():
 
-    yaml = projectconfig_ruamellib.YAML()
     data = yaml.load(open('gerrit/projects.yaml'))
 
     for project in data:
diff --git a/tools/projectconfig_ruamellib.py b/tools/projectconfig_ruamellib.py
index c246fabc14..ade88d257e 100755
--- a/tools/projectconfig_ruamellib.py
+++ b/tools/projectconfig_ruamellib.py
@@ -21,18 +21,12 @@ def none_representer(dumper, data):
 
 
 class YAML(object):
-    def __init__(self, strip=True):
-        """Wrap construction of ruamel yaml object.
-
-        :param bool strip:
-            Whether or not to strip additional leading spaces at the beginning
-            of the line. This is only needed when the root object is a list.
-        """
+    def __init__(self):
+        """Wrap construction of ruamel yaml object."""
         self.yaml = ruamel.yaml.YAML()
         self.yaml.allow_duplicate_keys = True
         self.yaml.representer.add_representer(type(None), none_representer)
         self.yaml.indent(mapping=2, sequence=4, offset=2)
-        self.strip = strip
 
     def load(self, stream):
         return self.yaml.load(stream)
@@ -48,6 +42,17 @@ class YAML(object):
         return '\n'.join(newlines)
 
     def dump(self, data, *args, **kwargs):
-        if self.strip:
+        if isinstance(data, list):
             kwargs['transform'] = self.tr
         self.yaml.dump(data, *args, **kwargs)
+
+
+_yaml = YAML()
+
+
+def load(*args, **kwargs):
+    return _yaml.load(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+def dump(*args, **kwargs):
+    return _yaml.dump(*args, **kwargs)