diff --git a/src/chatstates.rs b/src/chatstates.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6ec2e22d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/chatstates.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+use minidom::Element;
+
+use error::Error;
+
+use ns::CHATSTATES_NS;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum ChatState {
+    Active,
+    Composing,
+    Gone,
+    Inactive,
+    Paused,
+}
+
+pub fn parse_chatstate(root: &Element) -> Result<ChatState, Error> {
+    for _ in root.children() {
+        return Err(Error::ParseError("Unknown child in chatstate element."));
+    }
+    if root.is("active", CHATSTATES_NS) {
+        Ok(ChatState::Active)
+    } else if root.is("composing", CHATSTATES_NS) {
+        Ok(ChatState::Composing)
+    } else if root.is("gone", CHATSTATES_NS) {
+        Ok(ChatState::Gone)
+    } else if root.is("inactive", CHATSTATES_NS) {
+        Ok(ChatState::Inactive)
+    } else if root.is("paused", CHATSTATES_NS) {
+        Ok(ChatState::Paused)
+    } else {
+        Err(Error::ParseError("Unknown chatstate element."))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use minidom::Element;
+    use error::Error;
+    use chatstates;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_simple() {
+        let elem: Element = "<active xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates'/>".parse().unwrap();
+        chatstates::parse_chatstate(&elem).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_invalid() {
+        let elem: Element = "<coucou xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates'/>".parse().unwrap();
+        let error = chatstates::parse_chatstate(&elem).unwrap_err();
+        let message = match error {
+            Error::ParseError(string) => string,
+            _ => panic!(),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(message, "Unknown chatstate element.");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_invalid_child() {
+        let elem: Element = "<gone xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates'><coucou/></gone>".parse().unwrap();
+        let error = chatstates::parse_chatstate(&elem).unwrap_err();
+        let message = match error {
+            Error::ParseError(string) => string,
+            _ => panic!(),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(message, "Unknown child in chatstate element.");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore]
+    fn test_invalid_attribute() {
+        let elem: Element = "<inactive xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates' coucou=''/>".parse().unwrap();
+        let error = chatstates::parse_chatstate(&elem).unwrap_err();
+        let message = match error {
+            Error::ParseError(string) => string,
+            _ => panic!(),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(message, "Unknown attribute in chatstate element.");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d8a3f8cc..62996e9c 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ pub mod media_element;
 pub mod ecaps2;
 pub mod jingle;
 pub mod ping;
+pub mod chatstates;
diff --git a/src/ns.rs b/src/ns.rs
index 7c0903aa..84ca86e9 100644
--- a/src/ns.rs
+++ b/src/ns.rs
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ pub const DATA_FORMS_NS: &'static str = "jabber:x:data";
 pub const MEDIA_ELEMENT_NS: &'static str = "urn:xmpp:media-element";
 pub const JINGLE_NS: &'static str = "urn:xmpp:jingle:1";
 pub const PING_NS: &'static str = "urn:xmpp:ping";
+pub const CHATSTATES_NS: &'static str = "http://jabber.org/protocol/chatstates";