diff --git a/runtests/test/stdlib/testall/DomTestAllTest.java b/runtests/test/stdlib/testall/DomTestAllTest.java
index 67eb5826707..02e51b2ca8a 100644
--- a/runtests/test/stdlib/testall/DomTestAllTest.java
+++ b/runtests/test/stdlib/testall/DomTestAllTest.java
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ import test.dom.*;
  */
 public class DomTestAllTest {
   public static TestSuite suite() {
-    return new TestSuite(DomTest.class);
+    return new TestSuite(DomBuilderTest.class, DomTest.class);
   }
 }
diff --git a/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt b/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt
index 9087c182234..5497b8cbdc0 100644
--- a/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt
+++ b/stdlib/ktSrc/dom/Dom.kt
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 package std.dom
 
+import std.*
 import org.w3c.dom.*
-import javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilder
-import javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilderFactory
-import std.getOrElse
+
 
 // Properties
 
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ set(value) {
     this.setAttribute("style", value)
 }
 
+// TODO can we come up with a better name; 'class' is a reserved word?
 var Element.cssClass : String
 get() = this.getAttribute("class").getOrElse("")
 set(value) {
@@ -32,4 +32,64 @@ inline fun Node.plus(child: Node?): Node {
         this.appendChild(child)
     }
     return this
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+
+// Builder
+
+/*
+Creates a new element which can be configured via a function
+*/
+fun Document.createElement(name: String, init: Element.()-> Unit): Element {
+    val elem = this.createElement(name).sure()
+    elem.init()
+    return elem
+}
+
+/*
+Creates a new element to an element which has an owner Document which can be configured via a function
+*/
+fun Element.createElement(name: String, doc: Document? = null, init: Element.()-> Unit): Element {
+    val elem = ownerDocument(doc).createElement(name).sure()
+    elem.init()
+    return elem
+}
+
+/*
+Returns the owner document of the element or uses the provided document
+*/
+fun Element.ownerDocument(doc: Document? = null): Document {
+    val answer = if (doc == null) this.getOwnerDocument() else doc
+    if (answer == null) {
+        throw IllegalArgumentException("Element does not have an ownerDocument and none was provided for: ${this}")
+    } else {
+        return answer
+    }
+}
+
+/*
+Adds a newly created element which can be configured via a function
+*/
+fun Document.addElement(name: String, init: Element.()-> Unit): Element {
+    val child = createElement(name, init)
+    this.appendChild(child)
+    return child
+}
+
+/*
+Adds a newly created element to an element which has an owner Document which can be configured via a function
+*/
+fun Element.addElement(name: String, doc: Document? = null, init: Element.()-> Unit): Element {
+    val child = createElement(name, doc, init)
+    this.appendChild(child)
+    return child
+}
+
+/*
+Adds a newly created text node to an element which either already has an owner Document or one must be provided as a parameter
+*/
+fun Element.addText(text: String, doc: Document? = null): Element {
+    val child = ownerDocument(doc).createTextNode(text)
+    this.appendChild(child)
+    return this
+}
diff --git a/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt b/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..647852336ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testlib/test/dom/DomBuilderTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package test.dom
+
+import std.*
+import std.dom.*
+import stdhack.test.*
+import org.w3c.dom.*
+
+class DomBuilderTest() : TestSupport() {
+
+    fun testBuildDocumnet() {
+        var doc = createDocument()
+
+        doc.addElement("foo") {
+            id = "id1"
+            style = "bold"
+            cssClass = "bar"
+            addElement("child") {
+                cssClass = "another"
+                addElement("grandChild") {
+                    cssClass = "tiny"
+                    addText("Hello World!")
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        println("builder document: ${doc.toXmlString()}")
+    }
+}