diff --git a/include/Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.cpp b/include/Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92412d14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011 Jan Kaluza
+ * Licensed under the Simplified BSD license.
+ * See Documentation/Licenses/BSD-simplified.txt for more information.
+ */
+
+#include <Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.h>
+#include <Swiften/Parser/PlatformXMLParserFactory.h>
+#include <Swiften/Parser/Tree/ParserElement.h>
+#include <Swiften/Parser/XMLParser.h>
+
+namespace Swift {
+
+class DefaultStringTreeParser : public StringTreeParser {
+	public:
+		void handleTree(ParserElement::ref root) {
+			root_ = root;
+		}
+
+		ParserElement::ref getRoot() {
+			return root_;
+		}
+
+	private:
+		ParserElement::ref root_;
+};
+	
+ParserElement::ref StringTreeParser::parse(const std::string &xml) {
+	PlatformXMLParserFactory factory;
+	DefaultStringTreeParser client;
+	XMLParser *parser = factory.createXMLParser(&client);
+	
+	parser->parse(xml);
+	ParserElement::ref root = client.getRoot();
+	delete parser;
+	return root;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/include/Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.h b/include/Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..06089a7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/Swiften/Parser/StringTreeParser.h
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011 Jan Kaluza
+ * Licensed under the Simplified BSD license.
+ * See Documentation/Licenses/BSD-simplified.txt for more information.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <deque>
+
+#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
+#include <boost/smart_ptr/make_shared.hpp>
+
+#include <Swiften/Parser/Tree/ParserElement.h>
+#include <Swiften/Parser/XMLParserClient.h>
+
+namespace Swift {
+	/**
+	 * Generics parser offering something a bit like a DOM to work with.
+	 */
+	class StringTreeParser : public XMLParserClient {
+		public:
+			StringTreeParser() : XMLParserClient() {}
+			
+			virtual void handleStartElement(const std::string& element, const std::string& xmlns, const AttributeMap& attributes) {
+				if (!root_) {
+					root_ = boost::make_shared<ParserElement>(element, xmlns, attributes);
+					elementStack_.push_back(root_);
+				}
+				else {
+					ParserElement::ref current = *elementStack_.rbegin();
+					elementStack_.push_back(current->addChild(element, xmlns, attributes));
+				}
+			}
+
+			virtual void handleEndElement(const std::string& /*element*/, const std::string&) {
+				elementStack_.pop_back();
+				if (elementStack_.empty()) {
+					handleTree(root_);
+				}
+			}
+
+			virtual void handleCharacterData(const std::string& data) {
+				ParserElement::ref current = *elementStack_.rbegin();
+				current->appendCharacterData(data);
+			}
+
+			virtual void handleTree(ParserElement::ref root) = 0;
+
+			static ParserElement::ref parse(const std::string &xml);
+
+		private:
+			std::deque<ParserElement::ref> elementStack_;
+			ParserElement::ref root_;
+	};
+}