diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index d2b1994..3880358 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* 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]
+
 * Element.addMethods should add methods to Element as well as Element.Methods.  Closes #7888.  [Andrew Dupont]
 
 * Add support for per-request onCreate callbacks to Ajax.Request.  Closes #8011.  [Andrew Dupont]
diff --git a/src/dom.js b/src/dom.js
index e2406fb..7a47873 100644
--- a/src/dom.js
+++ b/src/dom.js
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ Element.Methods = {
     return $A($(element).getElementsByTagName('*')).each(Element.extend);
   },
   
+  firstDescendant: function(element) {
+    element = $(element).firstChild;
+    while (element && element.nodeType != 1) element = element.nextSibling;
+    return $(element);
+  },
+  
   immediateDescendants: function(element) {
     if (!(element = $(element).firstChild)) return [];
     while (element && element.nodeType != 1) element = element.nextSibling;
@@ -179,25 +185,33 @@ Element.Methods = {
   },
   
   up: function(element, expression, index) {
-    var ancestors = $(element).ancestors();
+    element = $(element);
+    if (arguments.length == 1) return $(element.parentNode);
+    var ancestors = element.ancestors();
     return expression ? Selector.findElement(ancestors, expression, index) :
       ancestors[index || 0];
   },
   
   down: function(element, expression, index) {
-    var descendants = $(element).descendants();
+    element = $(element);
+    if (arguments.length == 1) return element.firstDescendant();
+    var descendants = element.descendants();
     return expression ? Selector.findElement(descendants, expression, index) :
       descendants[index || 0];
   },
 
   previous: function(element, expression, index) {
-    var previousSiblings = $(element).previousSiblings();
+    element = $(element);
+    if (arguments.length == 1) return $(Selector.handlers.previousElementSibling(element));
+    var previousSiblings = element.previousSiblings();
     return expression ? Selector.findElement(previousSiblings, expression, index) :
       previousSiblings[index || 0];
   },
   
   next: function(element, expression, index) {
-    var nextSiblings = $(element).nextSiblings();
+    element = $(element);
+    if (arguments.length == 1) return $(Selector.handlers.nextElementSibling(element));
+    var nextSiblings = element.nextSiblings();
     return expression ? Selector.findElement(nextSiblings, expression, index) :
       nextSiblings[index || 0];
   },
diff --git a/test/unit/dom.html b/test/unit/dom.html
index 6b4e541..89a36f5 100644
--- a/test/unit/dom.html
+++ b/test/unit/dom.html
@@ -479,6 +479,11 @@
       assert(typeof dummy.descendants()[0].setStyle == 'function');
     }},
     
+    testElementFirstDescendant: function() {with(this) {
+      assertElementMatches($('navigation_test').firstDescendant(), 'li.first');
+      assertNull($('navigation_test_next_sibling').firstDescendant());
+    }},
+    
     testElementImmediateDescendants: function() {with(this) {
       assertElementsMatch($('navigation_test').immediateDescendants(),
         'li.first', 'li', 'li#navigation_test_c', 'li.last');