diff --git a/lib/oga/xml/element.rb b/lib/oga/xml/element.rb
index aaf9af9..cbe8966 100644
--- a/lib/oga/xml/element.rb
+++ b/lib/oga/xml/element.rb
@@ -55,6 +55,21 @@ module Oga
         return children.text
       end
 
+      ##
+      # Returns the text of the current element only.
+      #
+      # @return [String]
+      #
+      def inner_text
+        text = ''
+
+        children.each do |child|
+          text << child.text if child.is_a?(Text)
+        end
+
+        return text
+      end
+
       ##
       # Converts the element and its child elements to XML.
       #
diff --git a/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb b/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb
index b6d60f0..5f34a94 100644
--- a/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb
@@ -46,6 +46,24 @@ describe Oga::XML::Element do
     end
   end
 
+  context '#inner_text' do
+    before do
+      t1 = Oga::XML::Text.new(:text => 'Foo')
+      t2 = Oga::XML::Text.new(:text => 'Bar')
+
+      @n1 = described_class.new(:children => [t1])
+      @n2 = described_class.new(:children => [@n1, t2])
+    end
+
+    example 'return the inner text of the parent node' do
+      @n2.inner_text.should == 'Bar'
+    end
+
+    example 'return the inner text of the child node' do
+      @n1.inner_text.should == 'Foo'
+    end
+  end
+
   context '#to_xml' do
     example 'generate the corresponding XML' do
       described_class.new(:name => 'p').to_xml.should == '<p></p>'