diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 3880358..c4a65aa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Add Element#childElements as an alias for Element#immediateDescendants.  [Tobie Langel]
+
 * Optimize DOM navigation methods (Element#up, Element#down, Element#previous, Element#next) for no-argument calls.  Closes #7848.  [haraldmartin, sam]
 
 * Add Element#firstDescendant to retrieve the first non-text child node of an element.  [sam]
diff --git a/src/dom.js b/src/dom.js
index 7a47873..5f07e88 100644
--- a/src/dom.js
+++ b/src/dom.js
@@ -426,7 +426,10 @@ Element.Methods = {
   }  
 };
 
-Object.extend(Element.Methods, {childOf: Element.Methods.descendantOf});
+Object.extend(Element.Methods, {
+  childOf: Element.Methods.descendantOf,
+  childElements: Element.Methods.immediateDescendants
+});
 
 if (Prototype.Browser.Opera) { 
   Element.Methods._getStyle = Element.Methods.getStyle; 
diff --git a/test/unit/dom.html b/test/unit/dom.html
index 89a36f5..da3dbf8 100644
--- a/test/unit/dom.html
+++ b/test/unit/dom.html
@@ -484,16 +484,20 @@
       assertNull($('navigation_test_next_sibling').firstDescendant());
     }},
     
-    testElementImmediateDescendants: function() {with(this) {
-      assertElementsMatch($('navigation_test').immediateDescendants(),
+    testElementChildElements: function() {with(this) {
+      assertElementsMatch($('navigation_test').childElements(),
         'li.first', 'li', 'li#navigation_test_c', 'li.last');
       assertNotEqual(0, $('navigation_test_next_sibling').childNodes.length);
-      assertEnumEqual([], $('navigation_test_next_sibling').immediateDescendants());
+      assertEnumEqual([], $('navigation_test_next_sibling').childElements());
       
       var dummy = $(document.createElement('DIV'));
       dummy.innerHTML = '<div></div>'.times(3);
-      assert(typeof dummy.immediateDescendants()[0].setStyle == 'function');
+      assert(typeof dummy.childElements()[0].setStyle == 'function');
     }},
+
+    testElementImmediateDescendants: function() {with(this) {
+      assertIdentical(Element.Methods.childElements, Element.Methods.immediateDescendants);
+    }},  
         
     testElementPreviousSiblings: function() {with(this) {
       assertElementsMatch($('navigation_test').previousSiblings(),