diff --git a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/crypto/OtrEngine.java b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/crypto/OtrEngine.java
index 3aa876589..8efa21ebc 100644
--- a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/crypto/OtrEngine.java
+++ b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/crypto/OtrEngine.java
@@ -158,9 +158,8 @@ public class OtrEngine implements OtrEngineHost {
 		packet.setFrom(account.getFullJid()); //sender
 		packet.setTo(session.getAccountID()+"/"+session.getUserID()); //reciepient
 		packet.setBody(body);
-		Element privateTag = new Element("private");
-		privateTag.setAttribute("xmlns","urn:xmpp:carbons:2");
-		packet.addChild(privateTag);
+		packet.addChild("private","urn:xmpp:carbons:2");
+		packet.addChild("no-copy","urn:xmpp:hints");
 		packet.setType(MessagePacket.TYPE_CHAT);
 		Log.d(LOGTAG,packet.toString());
 		account.getXmppConnection().sendMessagePacket(packet);
diff --git a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/services/XmppConnectionService.java b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/services/XmppConnectionService.java
index 3e9648004..187f68792 100644
--- a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/services/XmppConnectionService.java
+++ b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/services/XmppConnectionService.java
@@ -619,11 +619,8 @@ public class XmppConnectionService extends Service {
 						.getFullJid());
 				packet.setTo(message.getCounterpart());
 				packet.setBody("This is an XEP-0027 encryted message");
-				Element x = new Element("x");
-				x.setAttribute("xmlns", "jabber:x:encrypted");
-				x.setContent(this.getPgpEngine().encrypt(keyId,
+				packet.addChild("x","jabber:x:encrypted").setContent(this.getPgpEngine().encrypt(keyId,
 						message.getBody()));
-				packet.addChild(x);
 				account.getXmppConnection().sendMessagePacket(packet);
 				message.setStatus(Message.STATUS_SEND);
 				message.setEncryption(Message.ENCRYPTION_DECRYPTED);
@@ -694,9 +691,8 @@ public class XmppConnectionService extends Service {
 									+ ": could not encrypt message to "
 									+ message.getCounterpart());
 				}
-				Element privateMarker = new Element("private");
-				privateMarker.setAttribute("xmlns", "urn:xmpp:carbons:2");
-				packet.addChild(privateMarker);
+				packet.addChild("private","urn:xmpp:carbons:2");
+				packet.addChild("no-copy","urn:xmpp:hints");
 				packet.setTo(otrSession.getSessionID().getAccountID() + "/"
 						+ otrSession.getSessionID().getUserID());
 				packet.setFrom(account.getFullJid());
@@ -736,16 +732,13 @@ public class XmppConnectionService extends Service {
 	public void updateRoster(final Account account,
 			final OnRosterFetchedListener listener) {
 		IqPacket iqPacket = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_GET);
-		Element query = new Element("query");
-		query.setAttribute("xmlns", "jabber:iq:roster");
 		if (!"".equals(account.getRosterVersion())) {
 			Log.d(LOGTAG, account.getJid() + ": fetching roster version "
 					+ account.getRosterVersion());
 		} else {
 			Log.d(LOGTAG, account.getJid() + ": fetching roster");
 		}
-		query.setAttribute("ver", account.getRosterVersion());
-		iqPacket.addChild(query);
+		iqPacket.query("jabber:iq:roster").setAttribute("ver", account.getRosterVersion());
 		account.getXmppConnection().sendIqPacket(iqPacket,
 				new OnIqPacketReceived() {
 
@@ -958,13 +951,8 @@ public class XmppConnectionService extends Service {
 
 	public void deleteContact(Contact contact) {
 		IqPacket iq = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_SET);
-		Element query = new Element("query");
-		query.setAttribute("xmlns", "jabber:iq:roster");
-		Element item = new Element("item");
-		item.setAttribute("jid", contact.getJid());
-		item.setAttribute("subscription", "remove");
-		query.addChild(item);
-		iq.addChild(query);
+		Element query = iq.query("jabber:iq:roster");
+		query.addChild("item").setAttribute("jid", contact.getJid()).setAttribute("subscription", "remove");
 		contact.getAccount().getXmppConnection().sendIqPacket(iq, null);
 		replaceContactInConversation(contact.getJid(), null);
 		databaseBackend.deleteContact(contact);
@@ -1035,8 +1023,7 @@ public class XmppConnectionService extends Service {
 			Element history = new Element("history");
 			long lastMsgTime = conversation.getLatestMessage().getTimeSent();
 			long diff = (System.currentTimeMillis() - lastMsgTime) / 1000 - 1;
-			history.setAttribute("seconds", diff + "");
-			x.addChild(history);
+			x.addChild("history").setAttribute("seconds", diff + "");
 		}
 		packet.addChild(x);
 		conversation.getAccount().getXmppConnection()
diff --git a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xml/Element.java b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xml/Element.java
index 6cf6d3a53..91d9ed6b4 100644
--- a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xml/Element.java
+++ b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xml/Element.java
@@ -17,7 +17,22 @@ public class Element {
 	public Element addChild(Element child) {
 		this.content = null;
 		children.add(child);
-		return this;
+		return child;
+	}
+	
+	public Element addChild(String name) {
+		this.content = null;
+		Element child = new Element(name);
+		children.add(child);
+		return child;
+	}
+	
+	public Element addChild(String name, String xmlns) {
+		this.content = null;
+		Element child = new Element(name);
+		child.setAttribute("xmlns", xmlns);
+		children.add(child);
+		return child;
 	}
 	
 	public Element setContent(String content) {
diff --git a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java
index 49aca167b..9b332c945 100644
--- a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java
+++ b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/XmppConnection.java
@@ -461,11 +461,7 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
 			if (this.streamFeatures.hasChild("session")) {
 				Log.d(LOGTAG,"sending session");
 				IqPacket startSession = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_SET);
-				Element session = new Element("session");
-				session.setAttribute("xmlns",
-						"urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-session");
-				session.setContent("");
-				startSession.addChild(session);
+				startSession.addChild("session","urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-session"); //setContent("")
 				this.sendIqPacket(startSession, null);
 			}
 		}
@@ -484,7 +480,8 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
 					IqPacket register = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_SET);
 					Element username = new Element("username").setContent(account.getUsername());
 					Element password = new Element("password").setContent(account.getPassword());
-					register.query("jabber:iq:register").addChild(username).addChild(password);
+					register.query("jabber:iq:register").addChild(username);
+					register.query().addChild(password);
 					sendIqPacket(register, new OnIqPacketReceived() {
 						
 						@Override
@@ -515,14 +512,9 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
 		packet.setAttribute("from", account.getFullJid());
 		if (account.getKeys().has("pgp_signature")) {
 			try {
-				String signature = account.getKeys().getString("pgp_signature");	
-				Element status = new Element("status");
-				status.setContent("online");
-				packet.addChild(status);
-				Element x = new Element("x");
-				x.setAttribute("xmlns", "jabber:x:signed");
-				x.setContent(signature);
-				packet.addChild(x);
+				String signature = account.getKeys().getString("pgp_signature");
+				packet.addChild("status").setContent("online");
+				packet.addChild("x","jabber:x:signed").setContent(signature);
 			} catch (JSONException e) {
 				//
 			}
@@ -532,12 +524,7 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
 
 	private void sendBindRequest() throws IOException {
 		IqPacket iq = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_SET);
-		Element bind = new Element("bind");
-		bind.setAttribute("xmlns", "urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-bind");
-		Element resource = new Element("resource");
-		resource.setContent("Conversations");
-		bind.addChild(resource);
-		iq.addChild(bind);
+		iq.addChild("bind", "urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-bind").addChild("resource").setContent("Conversations");
 		this.sendIqPacket(iq, new OnIqPacketReceived() {
 			@Override
 			public void onIqPacketReceived(Account account, IqPacket packet) {
@@ -601,9 +588,7 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
 
 	private void sendEnableCarbons() {
 		IqPacket iq = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_SET);
-		Element enable = new Element("enable");
-		enable.setAttribute("xmlns", "urn:xmpp:carbons:2");
-		iq.addChild(enable);
+		iq.addChild("enable","urn:xmpp:carbons:2");
 		this.sendIqPacket(iq, new OnIqPacketReceived() {
 
 			@Override
@@ -679,10 +664,8 @@ public class XmppConnection implements Runnable {
 			tagWriter.writeStanzaAsync(new RequestPacket());
 		} else {
 			IqPacket iq = new IqPacket(IqPacket.TYPE_GET);
-			Element ping = new Element("ping");
-			iq.setAttribute("from",account.getFullJid());
-			ping.setAttribute("xmlns", "urn:xmpp:ping");
-			iq.addChild(ping);
+			iq.setFrom(account.getFullJid());
+			iq.addChild("ping","urn:xmpp:ping");
 			this.sendIqPacket(iq, null);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/stanzas/IqPacket.java b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/stanzas/IqPacket.java
index f70a74ddc..8cd1abc0a 100644
--- a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/stanzas/IqPacket.java
+++ b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/xmpp/stanzas/IqPacket.java
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ public class IqPacket extends AbstractStanza {
 	public Element query() {
 		Element query = findChild("query");
 		if (query==null) {
-			query = new Element("query");
-			addChild(query);
+			query = addChild("query");
 		}
 		return query;
 	}