diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index d807d32..7437e1b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 0.12.0
 	- Add code coverage support
+	- New API:
+		- xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path()
 
 0.11.0
 	- SASL EXTERNAL support (XEP-0178)
diff --git a/src/stanza.c b/src/stanza.c
index b95c25e..60df711 100644
--- a/src/stanza.c
+++ b/src/stanza.c
@@ -844,6 +844,82 @@ const char *xmpp_stanza_get_from(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza)
     return xmpp_stanza_get_attribute(stanza, "from");
 }
 
+/** Get the first child of stanza following a path-like list of names.
+ *  This function searches the children and their children that match
+ *  the given path.
+ *
+ *  * "name" - Search 'name'
+ *
+ *  * "name[@ns='foo']" - Search 'name' which is in the namespace 'foo'
+ *
+ *  The Syntax to pass namespaces is inspired by the XPATH way of passing
+ *  attributes.
+ *
+ *  The namespace syntax only supports single quotes `'`.
+ *
+ *  The \ref XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS macro is provided as a helper for names
+ *  in namespaces.
+ *
+ *  @param stanza a Strophe stanza object
+ *  @param ... a var-args list that must be terminated by a NULL entry
+ *
+ *  @return the matching child stanza object or NULL if no match was found
+ *
+ *  @ingroup Stanza
+ */
+xmpp_stanza_t *xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza, ...)
+{
+    xmpp_stanza_t *child = NULL;
+    char *p, *tok, *attr, *saveattr, *ns = NULL;
+    const char *xmlns;
+    va_list ap;
+
+    va_start(ap, stanza);
+
+    while ((p = va_arg(ap, char *)) != NULL) {
+        tok = xmpp_strdup(stanza->ctx, p);
+        if (!tok) {
+            child = NULL;
+            break;
+        }
+        saveattr = ns = NULL;
+        attr = xmpp_strtok_r(tok, "[", &saveattr);
+        if (attr) {
+            attr = xmpp_strtok_r(NULL, "]", &saveattr);
+            if (attr) {
+                if (!strncmp(attr, "@ns='", 5)) {
+                    ns = attr + 5;
+                    xmpp_strtok_r(ns, "'", &saveattr);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if (!child) {
+            if (strcmp(xmpp_stanza_get_name(stanza), tok))
+                goto error_out;
+
+            if (ns) {
+                xmlns = xmpp_stanza_get_ns(stanza);
+                if (!xmlns || strcmp(xmlns, ns))
+                    goto error_out;
+            }
+            child = stanza;
+        } else {
+            if (!ns)
+                child = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(child, tok);
+            else
+                child = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name_and_ns(child, tok, ns);
+        }
+error_out:
+        xmpp_free(stanza->ctx, tok);
+        if (!child)
+            break;
+    }
+
+    va_end(ap);
+
+    return p == NULL ? child : NULL;
+}
+
 /** Get the first child of stanza with name.
  *  This function searches all the immediate children of stanza for a child
  *  stanza that matches the name.  The first matching child is returned.
diff --git a/strophe.h b/strophe.h
index 254f96a..eed6d8d 100644
--- a/strophe.h
+++ b/strophe.h
@@ -406,6 +406,9 @@ xmpp_stanza_t *xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_ns(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza,
 xmpp_stanza_t *xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name_and_ns(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza,
                                                     const char *name,
                                                     const char *ns);
+/* helper macro for names with a namespace */
+#define XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS(name, ns) name "[@ns='" ns "']"
+xmpp_stanza_t *xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza, ...);
 xmpp_stanza_t *xmpp_stanza_get_next(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza);
 int xmpp_stanza_add_child(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza, xmpp_stanza_t *child);
 int xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(xmpp_stanza_t *stanza,
diff --git a/tests/test_stanza.c b/tests/test_stanza.c
index 8643f2e..445a24a 100644
--- a/tests/test_stanza.c
+++ b/tests/test_stanza.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ static void test_stanza_error(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx)
     xmpp_stanza_t *stanza;
     xmpp_stanza_t *error;
     xmpp_stanza_t *item;
+    xmpp_stanza_t *mood;
     char *buf;
     size_t buflen;
     const char *attr[10];
@@ -135,12 +136,29 @@ static void test_stanza_error(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx)
     static const char *str_error =
         "<error type=\"cancel\"><service-unavailable "
         "xmlns=\"urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-stanzas\"/></error>";
+    // clang-format off
+    static const char *str_mood =
+        "<iq from='juliet@capulet.lit/balcony' id='publish1' type='set'>"
+          "<pubsub xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/pubsub'>"
+            "<publish node='http://jabber.org/protocol/mood'>"
+              "<item>"
+                "<mood xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/mood'>"
+                  "<annoyed/>"
+                  "<text>curse my nurse!</text>"
+                "</mood>"
+              "</item>"
+            "</publish>"
+          "</pubsub>"
+        "</iq>";
+    // clang-format on
 
     stanza = xmpp_stanza_new_from_string(ctx, str);
     assert(stanza != NULL);
     error =
         xmpp_stanza_reply_error(stanza, "cancel", "service-unavailable", NULL);
     assert(error != NULL);
+    mood = xmpp_stanza_new_from_string(ctx, str_mood);
+    assert(stanza != NULL);
 
     assert(xmpp_stanza_get_to(error) != NULL);
     COMPARE("romeo@montague.lit/home", xmpp_stanza_get_to(error));
@@ -151,6 +169,46 @@ static void test_stanza_error(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx)
     assert(xmpp_stanza_get_type(error) != NULL);
     COMPARE("error", xmpp_stanza_get_type(error));
 
+    /* FAIL - no list given */
+    item = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(mood, NULL);
+    assert(item == NULL);
+
+    /* FAIL - first entry doesn't match */
+    item = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(mood, "foo", NULL);
+    assert(item == NULL);
+
+    /* FAIL - 'iq' has no namespace */
+    item = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(
+        mood, XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS("iq", "foobar"),
+        XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS("pubsub", "http://jabber.org/protocol/pubsub"),
+        "publish", "item", "mood", NULL);
+    assert(item == NULL);
+
+    /* FAIL - 'pubsub' is in another namespace */
+    item = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(
+        mood, "iq",
+        XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS("pubsub", "http://jabber.org/protocol/foobar"),
+        "publish", "item", "mood", NULL);
+    assert(item == NULL);
+
+    item = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(mood, "iq", "pubsub", "publish",
+                                                "item", "mood", NULL);
+    assert(item != NULL);
+    assert(xmpp_stanza_get_children(item) != NULL);
+    assert(xmpp_stanza_get_name(xmpp_stanza_get_children(item)) != NULL);
+    COMPARE("annoyed", xmpp_stanza_get_name(xmpp_stanza_get_children(item)));
+
+    item = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_path(
+        mood, "iq",
+        XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS("pubsub", "http://jabber.org/protocol/pubsub"),
+        "publish", "item",
+        XMPP_STANZA_NAME_IN_NS("mood", "http://jabber.org/protocol/mood"),
+        NULL);
+    assert(item != NULL);
+    assert(xmpp_stanza_get_children(item) != NULL);
+    assert(xmpp_stanza_get_name(xmpp_stanza_get_children(item)) != NULL);
+    COMPARE("annoyed", xmpp_stanza_get_name(xmpp_stanza_get_children(item)));
+
     ret = xmpp_stanza_get_attributes(error, attr, attrlen);
     /* attr contains both attribute name and value. */
     assert(ret == 8);
@@ -163,6 +221,7 @@ static void test_stanza_error(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx)
     COMPARE(str_error, buf);
 
     xmpp_free(ctx, buf);
+    xmpp_stanza_release(mood);
     xmpp_stanza_release(stanza);
     xmpp_stanza_release(error);
 }