diff --git a/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/README.md b/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/README.md
index 10f5acd833be..2820f5e17884 100644
--- a/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/README.md
+++ b/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/README.md
@@ -1293,7 +1293,7 @@ Examples:
 The `RemoveXML` Converter returns an edited version of an XML string with selected elements removed.
 
 `target` is a Getter that returns a string. This string should be in XML format.
-If `target` is not a string, nil, or cannot be parsed as XML, `ParseXML` will return an error.
+If `target` is not a string, nil, or is not valid xml, `RemoveXML` will return an error.
 
 `xpath` is a string that specifies an [XPath](https://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-xpath-19991116/) expression that
 selects one or more elements to remove from the XML document.
diff --git a/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml.go b/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml.go
index f499be952748..f80ebbe6f79a 100644
--- a/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml.go
+++ b/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml.go
@@ -30,17 +30,17 @@ func createRemoveXMLFunction[K any](_ ottl.FunctionContext, oArgs ottl.Arguments
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("RemoveXML args must be of type *RemoveXMLAguments[K]")
 	}
 
-	return removeXML(args.Target, args.XPath), nil
+	return removeXML(args.Target, args.XPath)
 }
 
-// removeXML returns a `pcommon.String` that is a result of removing all matching nodes from the target XML.
+// removeXML returns a XML formatted string that is a result of removing all matching nodes from the target XML.
 // This currently supports removal of elements, attributes, text values, comments, and CharData.
-func removeXML[K any](target ottl.StringGetter[K], xPath string) ottl.ExprFunc[K] {
-	return func(ctx context.Context, tCtx K) (any, error) {
-		if err := validateXPath(xPath); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+func removeXML[K any](target ottl.StringGetter[K], xPath string) (ottl.ExprFunc[K], error) {
+	if err := validateXPath(xPath); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
+	return func(ctx context.Context, tCtx K) (any, error) {
 		targetVal, err := target.Get(ctx, tCtx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func removeXML[K any](target ottl.StringGetter[K], xPath string) ottl.ExprFunc[K
 		})
 
 		return top.OutputXML(false), nil
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func validateXPath(xPath string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml_test.go b/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml_test.go
index 0b702c16ad3d..2dcc120a5034 100644
--- a/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/func_remove_xml_test.go
@@ -114,14 +114,14 @@ func Test_RemoveXML(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func Test_RemoveXML_InvalidXML(t *testing.T) {
-	exprFunc := removeXML(invalidXMLGetter(), "/foo")
-	_, err := exprFunc(context.Background(), nil)
+	exprFunc, err := removeXML(invalidXMLGetter(), "/foo")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = exprFunc(context.Background(), nil)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
 func Test_RemoveXML_InvalidXPath(t *testing.T) {
-	exprFunc := removeXML(invalidXPathGetter(), "!")
-	_, err := exprFunc(context.Background(), nil)
+	_, err := removeXML(invalidXPathGetter(), "!")
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }