diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
index 51966a4e..d7c7c7b4 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
@@ -1014,9 +1014,13 @@ class StanzaBase(ElementBase):
         Add XML content to the stanza.
 
         Arguments:
-            value -- An XML object, or a stanza object.
+            value -- Either an XML or a stanza object, or a list
+                     of XML or stanza objects.
         """
-        self.xml.append(value)
+        if not isinstance(value, list):
+            value = [value]
+        for val in value:
+            self.append(val)
         return self
 
     def delPayload(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_stanzabase.py b/tests/test_stanzabase.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..682068d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_stanzabase.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+from . sleektest import *
+import sleekxmpp
+from sleekxmpp.xmlstream.stanzabase import ET, StanzaBase
+
+class TestStanzaBase(SleekTest):
+
+    def testTo(self):
+        """Test the 'to' interface of StanzaBase."""
+        stanza = StanzaBase()
+        stanza['to'] = 'user@example.com'
+        self.failUnless(str(stanza['to']) == 'user@example.com',
+            "Setting and retrieving stanza 'to' attribute did not work.")
+
+    def testFrom(self):
+        """Test the 'from' interface of StanzaBase."""
+        stanza = StanzaBase()
+        stanza['from'] = 'user@example.com'
+        self.failUnless(str(stanza['from']) == 'user@example.com',
+            "Setting and retrieving stanza 'from' attribute did not work.")
+
+    def testPayload(self):
+        """Test the 'payload' interface of StanzaBase."""
+        stanza = StanzaBase()
+        self.failUnless(stanza['payload'] == [],
+            "Empty stanza does not have an empty payload.")
+
+        stanza['payload'] = ET.Element("{foo}foo")
+        self.failUnless(len(stanza['payload']) == 1,
+            "Stanza contents and payload do not match.")
+
+        stanza['payload'] = ET.Element('{bar}bar')
+        self.failUnless(len(stanza['payload']) == 2,
+            "Stanza payload was not appended.")
+
+        del stanza['payload']
+        self.failUnless(stanza['payload'] == [],
+            "Stanza payload not cleared after deletion.")
+
+        stanza['payload'] = [ET.Element('{foo}foo'),
+                             ET.Element('{bar}bar')]
+        self.failUnless(len(stanza['payload']) == 2,
+            "Adding multiple elements to stanza's payload did not work.")
+
+    def testClear(self):
+        """Test clearing a stanza."""
+        stanza = StanzaBase()
+        stanza['to'] = 'user@example.com'
+        stanza['payload'] = ET.Element("{foo}foo")
+        stanza.clear()
+
+        self.failUnless(stanza['payload'] == [],
+            "Stanza payload was not cleared after calling .clear()")
+        self.failUnless(str(stanza['to']) == "user@example.com",
+            "Stanza attributes were not preserved after calling .clear()")
+
+    def testReply(self):
+        """Test creating a reply stanza."""
+        stanza = StanzaBase()
+        stanza['to'] = "recipient@example.com"
+        stanza['from'] = "sender@example.com"
+        stanza['payload'] = ET.Element("{foo}foo")
+
+        stanza.reply()
+
+        self.failUnless(str(stanza['to'] == "sender@example.com"),
+            "Stanza reply did not change 'to' attribute.")
+        self.failUnless(stanza['payload'] == [],
+            "Stanza reply did not empty stanza payload.")
+
+    def testError(self):
+        """Test marking a stanza as an error."""
+        stanza = StanzaBase()
+        stanza['type'] = 'get'
+        stanza.error()
+        self.failUnless(stanza['type'] == 'error',
+            "Stanza type is not 'error' after calling error()")
+
+
+suite = unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromTestCase(TestStanzaBase)