diff --git a/src/epub_postprocessor.py b/src/epub_postprocessor.py
index f4bce6c..5a0c347 100644
--- a/src/epub_postprocessor.py
+++ b/src/epub_postprocessor.py
@@ -225,6 +225,14 @@ class EpubPostprocessor:
     def _create_unique_id(href, id_):
         return re.sub(r'([^\w\s])|_|-', '', href) + re.sub(r'[_-]', '0', id_)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _create_new_anchor_span(soup, id_):
+        new_anchor_span = soup.new_tag("span")
+        new_anchor_span.attrs['id'] = id_
+        new_anchor_span.attrs['class'] = 'link-anchor'
+        new_anchor_span.string = "\xa0"
+        return new_anchor_span
+
     def match_href_to_path_from_toc(self, href, href_in_link, internal_link_tag):
         dir_name = os.path.dirname(href)
         normed_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(dir_name, href_in_link))
@@ -268,32 +276,29 @@ class EpubPostprocessor:
                 internal_link_tag.attrs['placeholder'] = '{{tempStyleToAnchor-' + new_id + '}}'
                 if new_id not in self.internal_anchors:
                     anchor_soup = self.href2soup_html[a_tag_href_matched_to_toc]
-                    new_anchor_span = soup.new_tag("span")
-                    new_anchor_span.attrs['id'] = new_id
-                    new_anchor_span.attrs['class'] = 'link-anchor'
-                    new_anchor_span.string = "\xa0"
+                    new_anchor_span = self._create_new_anchor_span(soup, new_id)
                     anchor_soup.insert(0, new_anchor_span)  # insert a new span to the begin of the file
                     self.internal_anchors.add(new_id)
 
                 del internal_link_tag.attrs['href']
 
         # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-        # write placeholder to all internal links
+        # add placeholder to all internal links
         internal_link_reg2 = re.compile(r'(^.+\.(html|xhtml)\#.+)|(^\#.+)')
         for toc_href in self.added_to_toc_hrefs:
             soup = self.href2soup_html[toc_href]
             for internal_link_tag in soup.find_all('a', {'href': internal_link_reg2}):
-                a_tag_href, id_in_link = internal_link_tag.attrs['href'].split('#')
+                a_tag_href, a_tag_id = internal_link_tag.attrs['href'].split('#')
                 a_tag_href = a_tag_href or toc_href
                 # find full path
                 a_tag_href_matched_to_toc = self.match_href_to_path_from_toc(toc_href, a_tag_href, internal_link_tag)
                 if not a_tag_href_matched_to_toc:
                     continue
-                new_id = self._create_unique_id(a_tag_href_matched_to_toc, id_in_link)
+                new_id = self._create_unique_id(a_tag_href_matched_to_toc, a_tag_id)
 
                 anchor_soup = self.href2soup_html[a_tag_href_matched_to_toc]
                 anchor_tags = anchor_soup.find_all(attrs={'id': new_id})
-                anchor_tags = anchor_tags or anchor_soup.find_all(attrs={'id': id_in_link})
+                anchor_tags = anchor_tags or anchor_soup.find_all(attrs={'id': a_tag_id})  # if link is a footnote
 
                 if anchor_tags:
                     if len(anchor_tags) > 1:
@@ -301,14 +306,12 @@ class EpubPostprocessor:
                                         f' While processing {internal_link_tag}')
 
                     anchor_tag = anchor_tags[0]
+                    assert anchor_tag.attrs['id'] == new_id
                     # if anchor is found we could add placeholder for link creation on server side.
                     internal_link_tag.attrs['placeholder'] = '{{tempStyleToAnchor-' + new_id + '}}'
                     # create span to have cyclic links, link has 1 type of class, anchor another
                     if anchor_tag.attrs['id'] not in self.internal_anchors:
-                        new_anchor_span = soup.new_tag("span")
-                        new_anchor_span.attrs['id'] = anchor_tag.attrs['id']
-                        new_anchor_span.attrs['class'] = 'link-anchor'
-                        new_anchor_span.string = "\xa0"
+                        new_anchor_span = self._create_new_anchor_span(soup, new_id)
                         anchor_tag.insert_before(new_anchor_span)
                         self.internal_anchors.add(anchor_tag.attrs['id'])
                         del anchor_tag.attrs['id']
@@ -318,7 +321,7 @@ class EpubPostprocessor:
                     internal_link_tag.attrs['converter-mark'] = 'bad-link'
                     self.logger.log(f'Error in {toc_href}. While processing {internal_link_tag} no anchor found.'
                                     f' Should be anchor with new id={new_id} in {a_tag_href_matched_to_toc} file.'
-                                    f' Old id={id_in_link}')
+                                    f' Old id={a_tag_id}')
 
     def build_one_anchored_section(self, node):
         """