diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 80a8a02..6d20ee4 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ members = [  # alphabetically sorted
   "sasl",
   "tokio-xmpp",
   "xmpp",
+  "xso",
 ]
 resolver = "2"
 
diff --git a/minidom/src/element.rs b/minidom/src/element.rs
index b161a99..0bb6c0b 100644
--- a/minidom/src/element.rs
+++ b/minidom/src/element.rs
@@ -427,6 +427,11 @@ impl Element {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Extracts all children into a collection.
+    pub fn take_nodes(&mut self) -> Vec<Node> {
+        self.children.drain(..).collect()
+    }
+
     /// Returns an iterator over references to every child node of this element.
     ///
     /// # Examples
diff --git a/xso/Cargo.toml b/xso/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..944a636
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xso/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[package]
+name = "xso"
+version = "0.0.2"
+edition = "2021"
+description = "XML Streamed Objects: similar to serde, but XML-native."
+homepage = "https://xmpp.rs"
+repository = "https://gitlab.com/xmpp-rs/xmpp-rs"
+keywords = ["xmpp", "xml", "serialization"]
+categories = ["encoding"]
+license = "MPL-2.0"
+
+[dependencies]
+rxml = { version = "0.11.0", default-features = false }
+minidom = { version = "^0.15" }
diff --git a/xso/src/error.rs b/xso/src/error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5da472d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xso/src/error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*!
+# Error types for XML parsing
+
+This module contains the error types used throughout the `xso` crate.
+*/
+// Copyright (c) 2024 Jonas Schäfer <jonas@zombofant.net>
+//
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+// file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+use std::fmt;
+
+use rxml::error::XmlError;
+
+/// Error variants generated while parsing or serialising XML data.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum Error {
+    /// Invalid XML data encountered
+    XmlError(XmlError),
+
+    /// Attempt to parse text data failed with the provided nested error.
+    TextParseError(Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync + 'static>),
+
+    /// An element header did not match an expected element.
+    ///
+    /// This is only rarely generated: most of the time, a mismatch of element
+    /// types is reported as either an unexpected or a missing child element,
+    /// errors which are generally more specific.
+    TypeMismatch,
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for Error {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::XmlError(ref e) => write!(f, "xml parse error: {}", e),
+            Self::TextParseError(ref e) => write!(f, "text parse error: {}", e),
+            Self::TypeMismatch => f.write_str("mismatch between expected and actual XML data"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::error::Error for Error {
+    fn source(&self) -> Option<&(dyn std::error::Error + 'static)> {
+        match self {
+            Self::XmlError(ref e) => Some(e),
+            Self::TextParseError(ref e) => Some(&**e),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<rxml::error::XmlError> for Error {
+    fn from(other: rxml::error::XmlError) -> Error {
+        Error::XmlError(other)
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<rxml::strings::Error> for Error {
+    fn from(other: rxml::strings::Error) -> Error {
+        Error::XmlError(other.into())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Error returned from
+/// [`FromXml::from_events`][`crate::FromXml::from_events`].
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum FromEventsError {
+    /// The `name` and/or `attrs` passed to `FromXml::from_events` did not
+    /// match the element's type.
+    Mismatch {
+        /// The `name` passed to `from_events`.
+        name: rxml::QName,
+
+        /// The `attrs` passed to `from_events`.
+        attrs: rxml::AttrMap,
+    },
+
+    /// The `name` and `attrs` passed to `FromXml::from_events` matched the
+    /// element's type, but the data was invalid. Details are in the inner
+    /// error.
+    Invalid(Error),
+}
+
+impl From<Error> for FromEventsError {
+    fn from(other: Error) -> Self {
+        Self::Invalid(other)
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for FromEventsError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::Mismatch { .. } => f.write_str("element header did not match"),
+            Self::Invalid(ref e) => fmt::Display::fmt(e, f),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::error::Error for FromEventsError {
+    fn source(&self) -> Option<&(dyn std::error::Error + 'static)> {
+        match self {
+            Self::Mismatch { .. } => None,
+            Self::Invalid(ref e) => Some(e),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/xso/src/lib.rs b/xso/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c38f386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xso/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#![forbid(missing_docs, unsafe_code)]
+/*!
+# XML Streamed Objects -- serde-like parsing for XML
+
+This crate provides the traits for parsing XML data into Rust structs, and
+vice versa.
+
+While it is in 0.0.x versions, many features still need to be developed, but
+rest assured that there is a solid plan to get it fully usable for even
+advanced XML scenarios.
+
+XSO is an acronym for XML Stream(ed) Objects, referring to the main field of
+use of this library in parsing XML streams like specified in RFC 6120.
+*/
+// Copyright (c) 2024 Jonas Schäfer <jonas@zombofant.net>
+//
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+// file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+pub mod error;
+pub mod minidom_compat;
+
+/// Trait allowing to consume a struct and iterate its contents as
+/// serialisable [`rxml::Event`] items.
+pub trait IntoXml {
+    /// The iterator type.
+    type EventIter: Iterator<Item = Result<rxml::Event, self::error::Error>>;
+
+    /// Return an iterator which emits the contents of the struct or enum as
+    /// serialisable [`rxml::Event`] items.
+    fn into_event_iter(self) -> Result<Self::EventIter, self::error::Error>;
+}
+
+/// Trait for a temporary object allowing to construct a struct from
+/// [`rxml::Event`] items.
+///
+/// Objects of this type are generally constructed through
+/// [`FromXml::from_events`] and are used to build Rust structs or enums from
+/// XML data. The XML data must be fed as `rxml::Event` to the
+/// [`feed`][`Self::feed`] method.
+pub trait FromEventsBuilder {
+    /// The type which will be constructed by this builder.
+    type Output;
+
+    /// Feed another [`rxml::Event`] into the element construction
+    /// process.
+    ///
+    /// Once the construction process completes, `Ok(Some(_))` is returned.
+    /// When valid data has been fed but more events are needed to fully
+    /// construct the resulting struct, `Ok(None)` is returned.
+    ///
+    /// If the construction fails, `Err(_)` is returned. Errors are generally
+    /// fatal and the builder should be assumed to be broken at that point.
+    /// Feeding more events after an error may result in panics, errors or
+    /// inconsistent result data, though it may never result in unsound or
+    /// unsafe behaviour.
+    fn feed(&mut self, ev: rxml::Event) -> Result<Option<Self::Output>, self::error::Error>;
+}
+
+/// Trait allowing to construct a struct from a stream of
+/// [`rxml::Event`] items.
+///
+/// To use this, first call [`FromXml::from_events`] with the qualified
+/// name and the attributes of the corresponding
+/// [`rxml::Event::StartElement`] event. If the call succeeds, the
+/// returned builder object must be fed with the events representing the
+/// contents of the element, and then with the `EndElement` event.
+///
+/// The `StartElement` passed to `from_events` must not be passed to `feed`.
+///
+/// **Important:** Changing the [`Builder`][`Self::Builder`] associated type
+/// is considered a non-breaking change for any given implementation of this
+/// trait. Always refer to a type's builder type using fully-qualified
+/// notation, for example: `<T as xso::FromXml>::Builder`.
+pub trait FromXml {
+    /// A builder type used to construct the element.
+    ///
+    /// **Important:** Changing this type is considered a non-breaking change
+    /// for any given implementation of this trait. Always refer to a type's
+    /// builder type using fully-qualified notation, for example:
+    /// `<T as xso::FromXml>::Builder`.
+    type Builder: FromEventsBuilder<Output = Self>;
+
+    /// Attempt to initiate the streamed construction of this struct from XML.
+    ///
+    /// If the passed qualified `name` and `attrs` match the element's type,
+    /// the [`Self::Builder`] is returned and should be fed with XML events
+    /// by the caller.
+    ///
+    /// Otherwise, an appropriate error is returned.
+    fn from_events(
+        name: rxml::QName,
+        attrs: rxml::AttrMap,
+    ) -> Result<Self::Builder, self::error::FromEventsError>;
+}
+
+/// Attempt to transform a type implementing [`IntoXml`] into another
+/// type which implements [`FromXml`].
+pub fn transform<T: FromXml, F: IntoXml>(from: F) -> Result<T, self::error::Error> {
+    let mut iter = from.into_event_iter()?;
+    let (qname, attrs) = match iter.next() {
+        Some(Ok(rxml::Event::StartElement(_, qname, attrs))) => (qname, attrs),
+        Some(Err(e)) => return Err(e),
+        _ => panic!("into_event_iter did not start with StartElement event!"),
+    };
+    let mut sink = match T::from_events(qname, attrs) {
+        Ok(v) => v,
+        Err(self::error::FromEventsError::Mismatch { .. }) => {
+            return Err(self::error::Error::TypeMismatch)
+        }
+        Err(self::error::FromEventsError::Invalid(e)) => return Err(e),
+    };
+    for event in iter {
+        let event = event?;
+        match sink.feed(event)? {
+            Some(v) => return Ok(v),
+            None => (),
+        }
+    }
+    Err(self::error::Error::XmlError(
+        rxml::error::XmlError::InvalidEof("during transform"),
+    ))
+}
diff --git a/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs b/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fffe2e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+//! Implementations of traits from this crate for minidom types
+// Copyright (c) 2024 Jonas Schäfer <jonas@zombofant.net>
+//
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+// file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+use std::vec::IntoIter;
+
+use minidom::{Element, Node};
+
+use rxml::{
+    parser::EventMetrics,
+    writer::{SimpleNamespaces, TrackNamespace},
+    AttrMap, Event, Name, Namespace, NcName,
+};
+
+use crate::{
+    error::{Error, FromEventsError},
+    FromEventsBuilder, FromXml, IntoXml,
+};
+
+/// State machine for converting a minidom Element into rxml events.
+enum IntoEventsInner {
+    /// Element header: the element is still intact and we need to generate
+    /// the [`rxml::Event::StartElement`] event from the namespace, name, and
+    /// attributes.
+    Header(Element),
+
+    /// Content: The contents of the element are streamed as events.
+    Nodes {
+        /// Remaining child nodes (text and/or children) to emit.
+        remaining: IntoIter<Node>,
+
+        /// When emitting a child element, this is a nested [`IntoEvents`]
+        /// instance for that child element.
+        nested: Option<Box<IntoEvents>>,
+    },
+
+    /// End of iteration: this state generates an end-of-iterator state.
+    ///
+    /// Note that the [`rxml::Event::EndElement`] event for the element itself
+    /// is generated by the iterator alraedy in the `Nodes` state, when
+    /// `nested` is None and `remaining` returns `None` from its `next()`
+    /// implementation.
+    Fin,
+}
+
+/// Create the parts for a [`rxml::Event::StartElement`] from a
+/// [`minidom::Element`].
+///
+/// Note that this copies the attribute data as well as namespace and name.
+/// This is due to limitations in the [`minidom::Element`] API.
+// NOTE to developers: The limitations are not fully trivial to overcome:
+// the attributes use a BTreeMap internally, which does not offer a `drain`
+// iterator.
+fn make_start_ev_parts(el: &Element) -> Result<(rxml::QName, AttrMap), Error> {
+    let name = NcName::try_from(el.name())?;
+    let namespace = Namespace::from(el.ns());
+
+    let mut attrs = AttrMap::new();
+    for (name, value) in el.attrs() {
+        let name = Name::try_from(name)?;
+        let (prefix, name) = name.split_name()?;
+        let namespace = if let Some(prefix) = prefix {
+            if prefix == "xml" {
+                Namespace::XML
+            } else {
+                let ns = match el.prefixes.get(&Some(prefix.into())) {
+                    Some(v) => v,
+                    None => {
+                        panic!("undeclared xml namespace prefix in minidom::Element")
+                    }
+                };
+                Namespace::from(ns.to_owned())
+            }
+        } else {
+            Namespace::NONE
+        };
+
+        attrs.insert(namespace, name, value.to_owned());
+    }
+
+    Ok(((namespace, name), attrs))
+}
+
+impl IntoEventsInner {
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Result<Option<Event>, Error> {
+        match self {
+            IntoEventsInner::Header(ref mut el) => {
+                let (qname, attrs) = make_start_ev_parts(el)?;
+                let event = Event::StartElement(EventMetrics::zero(), qname, attrs);
+
+                *self = IntoEventsInner::Nodes {
+                    remaining: el.take_nodes().into_iter(),
+                    nested: None,
+                };
+                return Ok(Some(event));
+            }
+            IntoEventsInner::Nodes {
+                ref mut nested,
+                ref mut remaining,
+            } => {
+                loop {
+                    if let Some(nested) = nested.as_mut() {
+                        if let Some(ev) = nested.next() {
+                            return Some(ev).transpose();
+                        }
+                    }
+                    match remaining.next() {
+                        Some(Node::Text(text)) => {
+                            return Ok(Some(Event::Text(EventMetrics::zero(), text)));
+                        }
+                        Some(Node::Element(el)) => {
+                            *nested = Some(Box::new(el.into_event_iter()?));
+                            // fallthrough to next loop iteration
+                        }
+                        None => {
+                            // end of element, switch state and emit EndElement
+                            *self = IntoEventsInner::Fin;
+                            return Ok(Some(Event::EndElement(EventMetrics::zero())));
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            IntoEventsInner::Fin => Ok(None),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Convert a [`minidom::Element`] into [`rxml::Event`]s.
+///
+/// This can be constructed from the
+/// [`IntoXml::into_event_iter`][`crate::IntoXml::into_event_iter`]
+/// implementation on [`minidom::Element`].
+pub struct IntoEvents(IntoEventsInner);
+
+impl Iterator for IntoEvents {
+    type Item = Result<Event, Error>;
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
+        self.0.next().transpose()
+    }
+}
+
+impl IntoXml for Element {
+    type EventIter = IntoEvents;
+
+    fn into_event_iter(self) -> Result<Self::EventIter, Error> {
+        Ok(IntoEvents(IntoEventsInner::Header(self)))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Construct a [`minidom::Element`] from [`rxml::Event`]s
+///
+/// This can be constructed from the
+/// [`FromXml::from_events`][`crate::FromXml::from_events`]
+/// implementation on [`minidom::Element`].
+pub struct ElementFromEvents {
+    inner: Option<Element>,
+    nested: Option<Box<ElementFromEvents>>,
+}
+
+impl FromEventsBuilder for ElementFromEvents {
+    type Output = minidom::Element;
+
+    fn feed(&mut self, ev: Event) -> Result<Option<Self::Output>, Error> {
+        let inner = self
+            .inner
+            .as_mut()
+            .expect("feed() called after it finished");
+        if let Some(nested) = self.nested.as_mut() {
+            match nested.feed(ev)? {
+                Some(v) => {
+                    inner.append_child(v);
+                    self.nested = None;
+                    return Ok(None);
+                }
+                None => return Ok(None),
+            }
+        }
+        match ev {
+            Event::XmlDeclaration(_, _) => Ok(None),
+            Event::StartElement(_, qname, attrs) => {
+                let nested = match Element::from_events(qname, attrs) {
+                    Ok(v) => v,
+                    Err(FromEventsError::Invalid(e)) => return Err(e),
+                    Err(FromEventsError::Mismatch { .. }) => {
+                        unreachable!("<Element as FromXml>::from_events should accept everything!")
+                    }
+                };
+                self.nested = Some(Box::new(nested));
+                Ok(None)
+            }
+            Event::Text(_, text) => {
+                inner.append_text_node(text);
+                Ok(None)
+            }
+            Event::EndElement(_) => Ok(Some(self.inner.take().unwrap())),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl FromXml for Element {
+    type Builder = ElementFromEvents;
+
+    fn from_events(
+        qname: rxml::QName,
+        attrs: rxml::AttrMap,
+    ) -> Result<Self::Builder, FromEventsError> {
+        let mut prefixes = SimpleNamespaces::new();
+        let mut builder = Element::builder(qname.1, qname.0);
+        for ((namespace, name), value) in attrs.into_iter() {
+            if namespace.is_none() {
+                builder = builder.attr(name, String::from(value));
+            } else {
+                let (is_new, prefix) = prefixes.declare_with_auto_prefix(namespace.clone());
+                let name = prefix.with_suffix(&name);
+                if is_new {
+                    builder = builder
+                        .prefix(
+                            Some(prefix.as_str().to_owned()),
+                            namespace.as_str().to_owned(),
+                        )
+                        .unwrap();
+                }
+                builder = builder.attr(name, String::from(value));
+            }
+        }
+
+        let element = builder.build();
+        Ok(Self::Builder {
+            inner: Some(element),
+            nested: None,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn transform_element_is_equivalent() {
+        let el: Element = "<foo xmlns='urn:a' a='b' c='d'><child a='x'/><child a='y'>some text</child><child xmlns='urn:b'><nested-child/></child></foo>".parse().unwrap();
+        let transformed: Element = crate::transform(el.clone()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(el, transformed);
+    }
+}