diff --git a/src/forwarding.rs b/src/forwarding.rs
index 2348068b..8ab4ead2 100644
--- a/src/forwarding.rs
+++ b/src/forwarding.rs
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Forwarded {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Forwarded, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("forwarded", ns::FORWARD) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a forwarded element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "forwarded", ns::FORWARD);
         let mut delay = None;
         let mut stanza = None;
         for child in elem.children() {
diff --git a/src/ibr.rs b/src/ibr.rs
index 05281f33..892c67d9 100644
--- a/src/ibr.rs
+++ b/src/ibr.rs
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Query {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Query, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("query", ns::REGISTER) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not an ibr element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "query", ns::REGISTER, "IBR query");
         let mut query = Query {
             registered: false,
             fields: HashMap::new(),
diff --git a/src/iq.rs b/src/iq.rs
index 65c13a24..9a7f3b59 100644
--- a/src/iq.rs
+++ b/src/iq.rs
@@ -207,9 +207,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Iq {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(root: Element) -> Result<Iq, Error> {
-        if !root.is("iq", ns::DEFAULT_NS) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not an iq element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(root, "iq", ns::DEFAULT_NS);
         let from = get_attr!(root, "from", optional);
         let to = get_attr!(root, "to", optional);
         let id = get_attr!(root, "id", optional);
diff --git a/src/jingle.rs b/src/jingle.rs
index ae313766..08002bcf 100644
--- a/src/jingle.rs
+++ b/src/jingle.rs
@@ -119,9 +119,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Content {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Content, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("content", ns::JINGLE) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a content element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "content", ns::JINGLE);
 
         let mut content = Content {
             creator: get_attr!(elem, "creator", required),
@@ -252,9 +250,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for ReasonElement {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<ReasonElement, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("reason", ns::JINGLE) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a reason element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "reason", ns::JINGLE);
         let mut reason = None;
         let mut text = None;
         for child in elem.children() {
@@ -344,9 +340,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Jingle {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(root: Element) -> Result<Jingle, Error> {
-        if !root.is("jingle", ns::JINGLE) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a Jingle element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(root, "jingle", ns::JINGLE, "Jingle");
 
         let mut jingle = Jingle {
             action: get_attr!(root, "action", required),
diff --git a/src/jingle_s5b.rs b/src/jingle_s5b.rs
index c670124d..558eb560 100644
--- a/src/jingle_s5b.rs
+++ b/src/jingle_s5b.rs
@@ -111,57 +111,54 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Transport {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Transport, Error> {
-        if elem.is("transport", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
-            let sid = get_attr!(elem, "sid", required);
-            let dstaddr = get_attr!(elem, "dstaddr", optional);
-            let mode = get_attr!(elem, "mode", default);
+        check_self!(elem, "transport", ns::JINGLE_S5B);
+        let sid = get_attr!(elem, "sid", required);
+        let dstaddr = get_attr!(elem, "dstaddr", optional);
+        let mode = get_attr!(elem, "mode", default);
 
-            let mut payload = None;
-            for child in elem.children() {
-                payload = Some(if child.is("candidate", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
-                    let mut candidates = match payload {
-                        Some(TransportPayload::Candidates(candidates)) => candidates,
-                        Some(_) => return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-candidate child already present in JingleS5B transport element.")),
-                        None => vec!(),
-                    };
-                    candidates.push(Candidate::try_from(child.clone())?);
-                    TransportPayload::Candidates(candidates)
-                } else if child.is("activated", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
-                    if payload.is_some() {
-                        return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-activated child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
-                    }
-                    let cid = get_attr!(child, "cid", required);
-                    TransportPayload::Activated(cid)
-                } else if child.is("candidate-error", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
-                    if payload.is_some() {
-                        return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-candidate-error child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
-                    }
-                    TransportPayload::CandidateError
-                } else if child.is("candidate-used", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
-                    if payload.is_some() {
-                        return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-candidate-used child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
-                    }
-                    let cid = get_attr!(child, "cid", required);
-                    TransportPayload::CandidateUsed(cid)
-                } else if child.is("proxy-error", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
-                    if payload.is_some() {
-                        return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-proxy-error child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
-                    }
-                    TransportPayload::ProxyError
-                } else {
-                    return Err(Error::ParseError("Unknown child in JingleS5B transport element."));
-                });
-            }
-            let payload = payload.unwrap_or(TransportPayload::None);
-            Ok(Transport {
-                sid: sid,
-                dstaddr: dstaddr,
-                mode: mode,
-                payload: payload,
-            })
-        } else {
-            Err(Error::ParseError("This is not an JingleS5B transport element."))
+        let mut payload = None;
+        for child in elem.children() {
+            payload = Some(if child.is("candidate", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
+                let mut candidates = match payload {
+                    Some(TransportPayload::Candidates(candidates)) => candidates,
+                    Some(_) => return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-candidate child already present in JingleS5B transport element.")),
+                    None => vec!(),
+                };
+                candidates.push(Candidate::try_from(child.clone())?);
+                TransportPayload::Candidates(candidates)
+            } else if child.is("activated", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
+                if payload.is_some() {
+                    return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-activated child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
+                }
+                let cid = get_attr!(child, "cid", required);
+                TransportPayload::Activated(cid)
+            } else if child.is("candidate-error", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
+                if payload.is_some() {
+                    return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-candidate-error child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
+                }
+                TransportPayload::CandidateError
+            } else if child.is("candidate-used", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
+                if payload.is_some() {
+                    return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-candidate-used child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
+                }
+                let cid = get_attr!(child, "cid", required);
+                TransportPayload::CandidateUsed(cid)
+            } else if child.is("proxy-error", ns::JINGLE_S5B) {
+                if payload.is_some() {
+                    return Err(Error::ParseError("Non-proxy-error child already present in JingleS5B transport element."));
+                }
+                TransportPayload::ProxyError
+            } else {
+                return Err(Error::ParseError("Unknown child in JingleS5B transport element."));
+            });
         }
+        let payload = payload.unwrap_or(TransportPayload::None);
+        Ok(Transport {
+            sid: sid,
+            dstaddr: dstaddr,
+            mode: mode,
+            payload: payload,
+        })
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/message.rs b/src/message.rs
index dad3c486..c4c4a17f 100644
--- a/src/message.rs
+++ b/src/message.rs
@@ -189,9 +189,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Message {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(root: Element) -> Result<Message, Error> {
-        if !root.is("message", ns::DEFAULT_NS) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a message element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(root, "message", ns::DEFAULT_NS);
         let from = get_attr!(root, "from", optional);
         let to = get_attr!(root, "to", optional);
         let id = get_attr!(root, "id", optional);
diff --git a/src/muc/muc.rs b/src/muc/muc.rs
index 9758b800..14a65302 100644
--- a/src/muc/muc.rs
+++ b/src/muc/muc.rs
@@ -22,9 +22,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Muc {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Muc, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("x", ns::MUC) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not an x element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "x", ns::MUC);
         check_no_attributes!(elem, "x");
 
         let mut password = None;
diff --git a/src/muc/user.rs b/src/muc/user.rs
index 236ca8c8..a6614a63 100644
--- a/src/muc/user.rs
+++ b/src/muc/user.rs
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Actor {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Actor, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("actor", ns::MUC_USER) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a actor element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "actor", ns::MUC_USER);
         check_no_unknown_attributes!(elem, "actor", ["jid", "nick"]);
         for _ in elem.children() {
             return Err(Error::ParseError("Unknown child in actor element."));
@@ -160,9 +158,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Item {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Item, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("item", ns::MUC_USER) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a item element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "item", ns::MUC_USER);
         check_no_unknown_attributes!(elem, "item", ["affiliation", "jid", "nick", "role"]);
         let mut actor: Option<Actor> = None;
         let mut continue_: Option<Continue> = None;
@@ -221,9 +217,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for MucUser {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<MucUser, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("x", ns::MUC_USER) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not an x element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "x", ns::MUC_USER);
         check_no_attributes!(elem, "x");
         let mut status = vec!();
         let mut items = vec!();
diff --git a/src/presence.rs b/src/presence.rs
index d25a7b09..f4a4f11f 100644
--- a/src/presence.rs
+++ b/src/presence.rs
@@ -248,9 +248,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Presence {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(root: Element) -> Result<Presence, Error> {
-        if !root.is("presence", ns::DEFAULT_NS) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a presence element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(root, "presence", ns::DEFAULT_NS);
         let mut show = None;
         let mut priority = None;
         let mut presence = Presence {
diff --git a/src/rsm.rs b/src/rsm.rs
index 17642986..6b9f5439 100644
--- a/src/rsm.rs
+++ b/src/rsm.rs
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Set {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Set, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("set", ns::RSM) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a RSM element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "set", ns::RSM, "RSM set");
         let mut set = Set {
             after: None,
             before: None,
@@ -136,7 +134,7 @@ mod tests {
             Error::ParseError(string) => string,
             _ => panic!(),
         };
-        assert_eq!(message, "This is not a RSM element.");
+        assert_eq!(message, "This is not a RSM set element.");
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/stanza_error.rs b/src/stanza_error.rs
index 4548864c..4977739d 100644
--- a/src/stanza_error.rs
+++ b/src/stanza_error.rs
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for StanzaError {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<StanzaError, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("error", ns::DEFAULT_NS) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not an error element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "error", ns::DEFAULT_NS);
 
         let type_ = get_attr!(elem, "type", required);
         let by = get_attr!(elem, "by", optional);
diff --git a/src/version.rs b/src/version.rs
index e14bb422..9521dc99 100644
--- a/src/version.rs
+++ b/src/version.rs
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@ impl TryFrom<Element> for Version {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn try_from(elem: Element) -> Result<Version, Error> {
-        if !elem.is("query", ns::VERSION) {
-            return Err(Error::ParseError("This is not a version element."));
-        }
+        check_self!(elem, "query", ns::VERSION, "version");
         check_no_attributes!(elem, "version");
         let mut name = None;
         let mut version = None;