diff --git a/component.lisp b/component.lisp
index 2a9ac39..d058709 100644
--- a/component.lisp
+++ b/component.lisp
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
                 (progn
                   (format t "~&IQ ~A from ~A for ~A~%" type from id)
                   (cond
-                    ((equal type "result") (finish promise (dom:child-nodes stanza)))
+                    ((equal type "result") (finish promise (child-elements stanza)))
                     ((equal type "error") (signal-error promise (extract-stanza-error stanza)))
                     (t (warn "Invalid IQ stanza type: ~A" type)))
                   (setf promise nil))
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@
   (let* ((from (dom:get-attribute stanza "from"))
          (to (dom:get-attribute stanza "to"))
          (id (dom:get-attribute stanza "id"))
-         (children (dom:child-nodes stanza))
+         (children (child-elements stanza))
          (body (get-node-named children "body"))
          (marker (get-node-with-xmlns children +chat-markers-ns+))
          (chat-state (get-node-with-xmlns children +chat-states-ns+)))
diff --git a/xmpp.lisp b/xmpp.lisp
index 21cfd9b..3fd224d 100644
--- a/xmpp.lisp
+++ b/xmpp.lisp
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@
 
 (defun get-node-named (nodes name)
   "Finds the node with tag name NAME in NODES, returning NIL if none was found."
-  (flet ((is-the-node (node) (equal (dom:tag-name node) name)))
+  (flet ((is-the-node (node) (and (dom:element-p node) (equal (dom:tag-name node) name))))
     (find-if #'is-the-node nodes)))
 
 (defun get-node-with-xmlns (nodes xmlns)
   "Finds the node with XML namespace XMLNS in NODES, returning NIL if none was found."
-  (flet ((is-the-node (node) (equal (dom:get-attribute node "xmlns") xmlns)))
+  (flet ((is-the-node (node) (and (dom:element-p node) (equal (dom:get-attribute node "xmlns") xmlns))))
     (find-if #'is-the-node nodes)))
 
 (defun handle-stream-error (comp stanza)
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
            (equal (dom:namespace-uri node) +streams-ns+))
          (is-text-node (node)
            (equal (dom:tag-name node) "text")))
-    (let* ((children (dom:child-nodes stanza))
+    (let* ((children (child-elements stanza))
            (error-node (find-if #'is-error-node children))
            (error-text-node (find-if #'is-text-node children))
            (error-name (dom:tag-name error-node))
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@
            (equal (dom:tag-name node) "error"))
          (is-text-node (node)
            (and (equal (dom:namespace-uri node) +stanzas-ns+) (equal (dom:tag-name node) "text"))))
-    (let* ((error-node (find-if #'is-error-node (dom:child-nodes stanza)))
-           (error-children (dom:child-nodes error-node))
+    (let* ((error-node (find-if #'is-error-node (child-elements stanza)))
+           (error-children (child-elements error-node))
            (type (dom:get-attribute error-node "type"))
            (condition-node (find-if #'is-error-condition-node error-children))
            (condition-name (dom:tag-name condition-node))