diff --git a/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt b/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt
index 669678cf825..50751901975 100644
--- a/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt
+++ b/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt
@@ -74,22 +74,36 @@ set(value) {
 
 // Helper methods
 
+/** Searches for elements using the element name, an element ID (if prefixed with dot) or element class (if prefixed with #) */
+fun Document?.get(selector: String): List<Element> {
+    val root = this?.getDocumentElement()
+    return if (root != null) {
+        root.get(selector)
+    } else {
+        Collections.EMPTY_LIST as List<Element>
+    }
+}
+
+/** Searches for elements using the element name, an element ID (if prefixed with dot) or element class (if prefixed with #) */
+fun Element.get(selector: String): List<Element> {
+    if (selector.startsWith(".")) {
+        // TODO filter by CSS style class
+    } else if (selector.startsWith("#")) {
+        // TODO lookup by ID
+    }
+    // TODO assume its a vanilla element name
+    return this.getElementsByTagName(selector).toElementList()
+}
+
+/** Returns the children of the element as a list */
 inline fun Element?.children(): List<Node> {
     return this?.getChildNodes().toList()
 }
 
-inline fun Element?.elementsByTagName(name: String?): List<Element> {
-    return this?.getElementsByTagName(name).toElementList()
-}
-
 inline fun Element?.elementsByTagNameNS(namespaceUri: String?, localName: String?): List<Element> {
     return this?.getElementsByTagNameNS(namespaceUri, localName).toElementList()
 }
 
-inline fun Document?.elementsByTagName(name: String?): List<Element> {
-    return this?.getElementsByTagName(name).toElementList()
-}
-
 inline fun Document?.elementsByTagNameNS(namespaceUri: String?, localName: String?): List<Element> {
     return this?.getElementsByTagNameNS(namespaceUri, localName).toElementList()
 }
diff --git a/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt b/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt
index dea799d0dae..2548268e1d8 100644
--- a/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt
+++ b/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ class DomBuilderTest() : TestSupport() {
     fun testBuildDocument() {
         var doc = createDocument()
 
+        assert {
+            doc["grandchild"].isEmpty()
+        }
+
         doc.addElement("foo") {
             id = "id1"
             style = "bold"
@@ -27,8 +31,7 @@ class DomBuilderTest() : TestSupport() {
         }
         println("builder document: ${doc.toXmlString()}")
 
-
-        val grandChild = doc.elementsByTagName("grandChild").first
+        val grandChild = doc["grandChild"].first
         if (grandChild != null) {
             println("got element ${grandChild.toXmlString()} with text '${grandChild.text}`")
             assertEquals("Hello World!", grandChild.text)