diff --git a/include/vlc_config_cat.h b/include/vlc_config_cat.h
index 9b87747036dfce2f096ab9eeda44c690d8652a2c..7516bea8f37e7c7aacc183094424761826b3f309 100644
--- a/include/vlc_config_cat.h
+++ b/include/vlc_config_cat.h
@@ -274,4 +274,37 @@ static inline const char *config_CategoryHelpGet( int i_value )
     return NULL;
 }
 
+/** Check if the given subcategory is a "general" one.
+ *
+ * In a cat/subcat preference tree, subcategories typically appear as child
+ * nodes under their respective parent category node. Core config items, which
+ * are always associated with a particular subcategory, are shown when that
+ * subcategory node is selected. Each category however has a "general"
+ * subcategory which is not shown as a child node, instead the options for
+ * this are shown when the category node itself is selected in the tree.
+ *
+ * One or more nodes are also created in the tree per plugin, with the
+ * location relating to the subcategory association of its config items. Plugin
+ * nodes associated with general subcategories naturally appear as child nodes
+ * of the category node (as a sibling to its subcategory nodes), rather than as
+ * a child node of a subcategory node.
+ */
+VLC_USED
+static inline bool vlc_config_subcat_IsGeneral( int subcat )
+{
+    switch (subcat)
+    {
+        case SUBCAT_INTERFACE_GENERAL:
+        case SUBCAT_AUDIO_GENERAL:
+        case SUBCAT_VIDEO_GENERAL:
+        case SUBCAT_INPUT_GENERAL:
+        case SUBCAT_SOUT_GENERAL:
+        case SUBCAT_ADVANCED_MISC:
+        case SUBCAT_PLAYLIST_GENERAL:
+            return true;
+        default:
+            return false;
+    }
+}
+
 #endif /* VLC_HELP_H */
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/preferences/prefs.m b/modules/gui/macosx/preferences/prefs.m
index 8e2a5f5977a7f544507ef4cc80da1e4c12876068..f68a25d33e65dc718dc76d217961392348e83561 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/preferences/prefs.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/preferences/prefs.m
@@ -456,19 +456,6 @@
     return nil;
 }
 
-- (bool)isSubCategoryGeneral:(int)category
-{
-    if (category == SUBCAT_VIDEO_GENERAL ||
-          category == SUBCAT_INPUT_GENERAL ||
-          category == SUBCAT_INTERFACE_GENERAL ||
-          category == SUBCAT_SOUT_GENERAL||
-          category == SUBCAT_PLAYLIST_GENERAL||
-          category == SUBCAT_AUDIO_GENERAL) {
-        return true;
-    }
-    return false;
-}
-
 /* Creates and returns the array of children
  * Loads children incrementally */
 - (NSMutableArray *)children
@@ -529,7 +516,7 @@
                     subCategoryItem = nil;
                     continue;
                 }
-                if (categoryItem && ![self isSubCategoryGeneral:lastsubcat]) {
+                if (categoryItem && !vlc_config_subcat_IsGeneral(lastsubcat)) {
                     subCategoryItem = [categoryItem itemRepresentingSubCategory:lastsubcat];
                     if (!subCategoryItem) {
                         subCategoryItem = [VLCTreeSubCategoryItem subCategoryTreeItemWithSubCategory:lastsubcat];
@@ -544,7 +531,7 @@
                 continue;
 
             if (mod_is_main) {
-                if (categoryItem && [self isSubCategoryGeneral:lastsubcat]) {
+                if (categoryItem && vlc_config_subcat_IsGeneral(lastsubcat)) {
                     [[categoryItem options] addObject:[[VLCTreeLeafItem alloc] initWithConfigItem:&p_configs[j]]];
                 } else if (subCategoryItem) {
                     [[subCategoryItem options] addObject:[[VLCTreeLeafItem alloc] initWithConfigItem:&p_configs[j]]];
diff --git a/modules/gui/qt/dialogs/preferences/complete_preferences.cpp b/modules/gui/qt/dialogs/preferences/complete_preferences.cpp
index 98f4ddaf3d0dfcb03f06e8bac10e7e29c489698f..0501625c8ef84f00b5dccc342f389dff226b695a 100644
--- a/modules/gui/qt/dialogs/preferences/complete_preferences.cpp
+++ b/modules/gui/qt/dialogs/preferences/complete_preferences.cpp
@@ -136,14 +136,7 @@ PrefsTree::PrefsTree( qt_intf_t *_p_intf, QWidget *_parent,
             if( p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_HIDDEN ) break;
 
             /* Special cases: move the main subcategories to the parent cat*/
-            if( data &&
-                ( p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_VIDEO_GENERAL ||
-                  p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_ADVANCED_MISC ||
-                  p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_INPUT_GENERAL ||
-                  p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_INTERFACE_GENERAL ||
-                  p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_SOUT_GENERAL||
-                  p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_PLAYLIST_GENERAL||
-                  p_item->value.i == SUBCAT_AUDIO_GENERAL ) )
+            if( data && vlc_config_subcat_IsGeneral(p_item->value.i) )
             {
                 /* Data still contains the correct thing */
                 data->i_type = PrefsItemData::TYPE_CATSUBCAT;