diff --git a/src/algorithms/GenericFunctions.jl b/src/algorithms/GenericFunctions.jl
index a852af807..0b35339f1 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/GenericFunctions.jl
+++ b/src/algorithms/GenericFunctions.jl
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ end
 Return `mod(f^e, m)` but possibly computed more efficiently.
 """
 function powermod(a::T, n::Integer, m::T) where T <: RingElem
-   parent(a) == parent(m) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(a, m)
    if n > 1
       return internal_powermod(a, n, m)
    elseif isone(n)
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ case `q` is set to the quotient, or `flag` is set to `false` and `q`
 is set to `zero(f)`.
 """
 function divides(a::T, b::T) where T <: RingElem
-   parent(a) == parent(b) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(a, b)
    if iszero(b)
       return iszero(a), b
    end
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ the cofactor after $f$ is divided by this power.
 See also [`valuation`](@ref), which only returns the valuation.
 """
 function remove(a::T, b::T) where T <: Union{RingElem, Number}
-   parent(a) == parent(b) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(a, b)
    if (iszero(b) || is_unit(b))
       throw(ArgumentError("Second argument must be a non-zero non-unit"))
    end
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ any other common divisor of $a$ and $b$ divides $g$.
     way that if the return is a unit, that unit should be one.
 """
 function gcd(a::T, b::T) where T <: RingElem
-   parent(a) == parent(b) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(a, b)
    while !iszero(b)
       (a, b) = (b, mod(a, b))
    end
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ Return a triple `d, s, t` such that $d = gcd(f, g)$ and $d = sf + tg$, with $s$
 loosely reduced modulo $g/d$ and $t$ loosely reduced modulo $f/d$.
 """
 function gcdx(a::T, b::T) where T <: RingElem
-   parent(a) == parent(b) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(a, b)
    R = parent(a)
    if iszero(a)
       if iszero(b)
diff --git a/src/generic/FactoredFraction.jl b/src/generic/FactoredFraction.jl
index eb31cba73..11c09ec9a 100644
--- a/src/generic/FactoredFraction.jl
+++ b/src/generic/FactoredFraction.jl
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ function *(b::Integer, a::FactoredFracFieldElem{T}) where T <: RingElem
 end
 
 function *(b::FactoredFracFieldElem{T}, c::FactoredFracFieldElem{T}) where T <: RingElement
-    parent(b) == parent(c) || error("Incompatible rings")
+    check_parent(b, c)
     input_is_good = _bases_are_coprime(b) && _bases_are_coprime(b)
     z = FactoredFracFieldElem{T}(b.unit*c.unit, FactoredFracTerm{T}[], parent(b))
     if iszero(z.unit)
diff --git a/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl b/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl
index 7c94fc57b..b16c7a80d 100644
--- a/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl
+++ b/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ function canonical_unit(p::LaurentPolyWrap)
 end
 
 function gcd(p::LaurentPolyWrap{T}, q::LaurentPolyWrap{T}) where T
-   parent(p) == parent(q) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(p, q)
    if iszero(p)
       return divexact(q, canonical_unit(q))
    elseif iszero(q)
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ function gcd(p::LaurentPolyWrap{T}, q::LaurentPolyWrap{T}) where T
 end
 
 function gcdx(a::LaurentPolyWrap{T}, b::LaurentPolyWrap{T}) where T
-   parent(a) == parent(b) || error("Incompatible parents")
+   check_parent(a, b)
    R = parent(a)
    if iszero(a)
       if iszero(b)
diff --git a/test/algorithms/GenericFunctions-test.jl b/test/algorithms/GenericFunctions-test.jl
index be844b28b..6b4db98da 100644
--- a/test/algorithms/GenericFunctions-test.jl
+++ b/test/algorithms/GenericFunctions-test.jl
@@ -145,19 +145,19 @@ end
 # Binary operations
 
 function +(f::ConstPoly{T}, g::ConstPoly{T}) where T <: RingElement
-   parent(f) != parent(g) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(f, g)
    R = parent(f)
    return R(f.c + g.c)
 end
 
 function -(f::ConstPoly{T}, g::ConstPoly{T}) where T <: RingElement
-   parent(f) != parent(g) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(f, g)
    R = parent(f)
    return R(f.c - g.c)
 end
 
 function *(f::ConstPoly{T}, g::ConstPoly{T}) where T <: RingElement
-   parent(f) != parent(g) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(f, g)
    R = parent(f)
    return R(f.c*g.c)
 end
@@ -165,12 +165,12 @@ end
 # Comparison
 
 function ==(f::ConstPoly{T}, g::ConstPoly{T}) where T <: RingElement
-   parent(f) != parent(g) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(f, g)
    return f.c == g.c
 end
 
 function isequal(f::ConstPoly{T}, g::ConstPoly{T}) where T <: RingElement
-   parent(f) != parent(g) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(f, g)
    return isequal(f.c, g.c)
 end
 
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ end
 # Exact division
 
 function divexact(f::ConstPoly{T}, g::ConstPoly{T}; check::Bool = true) where T <: RingElement
-   parent(f) != parent(g) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(f, g)
    R = parent(f)
    return R(divexact(f.c, g.c, check = check))
 end
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ end
 # Euclidean interface
 
 function Base.divrem(a::ConstPoly{elem_type(ZZ)}, b::ConstPoly{elem_type(ZZ)})
-   parent(a) != parent(b) && error("Incompatible rings")
+   check_parent(a, b)
    q, r = AbstractAlgebra.divrem(a.c, b.c)
    return parent(a)(q), parent(a)(r)
 end