@manua,
There's no way for tools currently used in existing workflows to be automatically updated with the new XML config requirements. These configs are coded into the workflows XML so in order for them to use a new one, the steps you're taking is the typical way to do so.
Another option you can try is to create a batch macro that would read in the yxmd as a none delimited, "\0", csv file to read in the XML of the workflow in it's raw state. Don't use the XML file type or it'll attempt to parse.
Afterwards, create a process to find the section of text with the old configs and replace it with the new and then output the file back out.
I have not done this before, but conceptually, should work as long as only the appropriate XML attributes are updated.
Hope this helps!
Jimmy