diff --git a/include/orcus/xml_structure_tree.hpp b/include/orcus/xml_structure_tree.hpp
index 58cabfd116fa24e35ff27cf8d7512b6e73df33f4..c88808d24bd74c175fa4017328d3e54b4c588c5e 100644
--- a/include/orcus/xml_structure_tree.hpp
+++ b/include/orcus/xml_structure_tree.hpp
@@ -127,6 +127,20 @@ public:
         size_t get_xmlns_index(xmlns_id_t ns) const;

         std::string get_xmlns_short_name(xmlns_id_t ns) const;
+
+        /**
+         * Get a XPath like ID for the element inside of the XML tree.
+         *
+         */
+        std::string get_path() const;
+
+        /**
+         * Select an element by a path expression. The path expression may be
+         * generated by <code>xml_structure_tree::walker::get_path</code>.
+         *
+         * @param path a simple XPath like expression
+         */
+        element select_by_path(const std::string& path);
     };

     xml_structure_tree(xmlns_context& xmlns_cxt);
diff --git a/src/liborcus/xml_structure_tree.cpp b/src/liborcus/xml_structure_tree.cpp
index 2778bc05f32841a9441bf471913872e119256895..6622bc57cd2595f12bba80d4bbdb5c24cd6e7bc6 100644
--- a/src/liborcus/xml_structure_tree.cpp
+++ b/src/liborcus/xml_structure_tree.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "orcus/exception.hpp"

 #include "orcus/string_pool.hpp"
+#include "string_helper.hpp"

 #include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -275,6 +276,15 @@ struct xml_structure_tree_impl
     {
         delete mp_root;
     }
+
+    std::string get_element_str(const xml_structure_tree::entity_name& name) const
+    {
+        ostringstream ss;
+        if (m_xmlns_cxt.get_index(name.ns) != index_not_found)
+            ss << m_xmlns_cxt.get_short_name(name.ns) << ":";
+        ss << name.name;
+        return ss.str();
+    }
 };

 struct xml_structure_tree::walker_impl
@@ -423,6 +433,66 @@ string xml_structure_tree::walker::get_xmlns_short_name(xmlns_id_t ns) const
     return mp_impl->m_parent_impl.m_xmlns_cxt.get_short_name(ns);
 }

+string xml_structure_tree::walker::get_path() const
+{
+    ostringstream ss;
+    for (auto& element : mp_impl->m_scopes)
+    {
+        ss << "/" << mp_impl->m_parent_impl.get_element_str(element.name);
+    }
+
+    return ss.str();
+}
+
+xml_structure_tree::element xml_structure_tree::walker::select_by_path(const std::string& path)
+{
+    pstring p(path);
+    std::vector<pstring> parts = string_helper::split_string(p, '/');
+    if (parts.empty())
+        throw general_error("invalid format for path");
+
+    // string_helper::split_string will create an empty first element due to leading '/'
+    if (parts[0] != "")
+    {
+        throw general_error("invalid format for path");
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        parts.erase(parts.begin());
+    }
+
+    if (parts.empty())
+        throw general_error("invalid format for path");
+
+    element_ref root_ref(mp_impl->mp_root->name, &mp_impl->mp_root->prop);
+    if (pstring(mp_impl->m_parent_impl.get_element_str(root_ref.name)) != parts[0])
+        throw general_error("path does not match any element");
+
+    std::vector<element_ref> scopes;
+    scopes.push_back(root_ref);
+
+    for (size_t i = 1; i < parts.size(); ++i)
+    {
+        const elem_prop& prop = *scopes.back().prop;
+        bool found = false;
+        for (auto& child : prop.child_elements)
+        {
+            if (pstring(mp_impl->m_parent_impl.get_element_str(child.first)) == parts[i])
+            {
+                scopes.emplace_back(child.first, child.second);
+                found = true;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        if (!found)
+            throw general_error("path does not match any element");
+    }
+
+    std::swap(mp_impl->m_scopes, scopes);
+    const element_ref& ref = mp_impl->m_scopes.back();
+    return element(ref.name, ref.prop->repeat);
+}
+
 xml_structure_tree::xml_structure_tree(xmlns_context& xmlns_cxt) :
     mp_impl(new xml_structure_tree_impl(xmlns_cxt)) {}