diff --git a/amazonka-core.cabal b/amazonka-core.cabal
--- a/amazonka-core.cabal
+++ b/amazonka-core.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                  amazonka-core
-version:               0.0.6
+version:               0.0.7
 synopsis:              Core functionality and data types for Amazonka libraries.
 homepage:              https://github.com/brendanhay/amazonka
 license:               OtherLicense
diff --git a/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/JSON.hs b/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/JSON.hs
--- a/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/JSON.hs
+++ b/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/JSON.hs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     , withObject
     , (.:)
     , (.:?)
+    , (.!=)
     -- ** Either String a
     , (.:>)
     , (.:?>)
diff --git a/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/XML.hs b/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/XML.hs
--- a/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/XML.hs
+++ b/src/Network/AWS/Data/Internal/XML.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     , localName
     , (.@)
     , (.@?)
+    , (.!@)
 
     -- * ToXML
     , ToXML     (..)
@@ -90,6 +91,10 @@
         Left _   -> Right Nothing
         Right xs -> parseXML xs
 {-# INLINE (.@?) #-}
+
+(.!@) :: Either String (Maybe a) -> a -> Either String a
+f .!@ x = fromMaybe x <$> f
+{-# INLINE (.!@) #-}
 
 namespaced :: Text -> Text -> [Node] -> Element
 namespaced g l = element (Name l (Just g) Nothing)