diff --git a/src/jcl/jabber/tests/command.py b/src/jcl/jabber/tests/command.py
index ff98658..ebd7fd7 100644
--- a/src/jcl/jabber/tests/command.py
+++ b/src/jcl/jabber/tests/command.py
@@ -383,19 +383,13 @@ class JCLCommandManager_TestCase(JCLTestCase):
         self.command_manager.add_form_select_users_jids(command_node, "title",
                                                         "description",
                                                         Lang.en.field_users_jids)
-        x_data = info_query.xpath_eval("c:command/data:x",
-                                       {"c": "http://jabber.org/protocol/commands",
-                                        "data": "jabber:x:data"})
-        self.assertEquals(len(x_data), 1)
-        self.assertEquals(x_data[0].prop("type"), "form")
-        user_jid_field = info_query.xpath_eval("c:command/data:x/data:field[1]",
-                                               {"c": "http://jabber.org/protocol/commands",
-                                                "data": "jabber:x:data"})
-        self.assertNotEquals(user_jid_field, None)
-        self.assertEquals(len(user_jid_field), 1)
-        self.assertEquals(user_jid_field[0].prop("var"), "user_jids")
-        self.assertEquals(user_jid_field[0].prop("type"), "jid-multi")
-        self.assertEquals(user_jid_field[0].prop("label"), Lang.en.field_users_jids)
+        self.assertTrue(jcl.tests.is_xml_equal(\
+                u"<command xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/commands'>"
+                + "<x xmlns='jabber:x:data' type='form'>"
+                + "<field var='user_jids' type='jid-multi' label='"
+                + Lang.en.field_users_jids + "' />"
+                + "</x></command>",
+                info_query.xmlnode.children))
 
     def test_add_form_select_user_jid(self):
         info_query = Iq(stanza_type="set",
diff --git a/src/jcl/tests/__init__.py b/src/jcl/tests/__init__.py
index 7f9cfe0..4593063 100644
--- a/src/jcl/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/src/jcl/tests/__init__.py
@@ -36,10 +36,12 @@ def is_xml_equal(xml_ref, xml_test, strict=False, test_sibling=True):
             return True
     if (xml_ref is None) and (xml_test is None):
         return True
-    if isinstance(xml_ref, types.StringType):
-        xml_ref = libxml2.parseDoc(xml_ref)
-    if isinstance(xml_test, types.StringType):
-        xml_test = libxml2.parseDoc(xml_test)
+    if isinstance(xml_ref, types.StringType) \
+            or isinstance(xml_ref, types.UnicodeType):
+        xml_ref = libxml2.parseDoc(xml_ref).children
+    if isinstance(xml_test, types.StringType) \
+            or isinstance(xml_test, types.UnicodeType):
+        xml_test = libxml2.parseDoc(xml_test).children
 
     def check_equality(test_func, ref, test, strict):
         """
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ def is_xml_equal(xml_ref, xml_test, strict=False, test_sibling=True):
                           xml_ref, xml_test, strict):
         return False
 
-    if not check_equality(lambda ref, test: ref.ns() == test.ns(),
+    if not check_equality(lambda ref, test: str(ref.ns()) == str(test.ns()),
                           xml_ref, xml_test, strict):
         return False
 
@@ -109,6 +111,31 @@ def is_xml_equal(xml_ref, xml_test, strict=False, test_sibling=True):
     return True
 
 class JCLTest_TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_is_xml_equal_str_node_vs_xml_node(self):
+        """
+        Test if an xml node is equal to its string representation.
+        """
+        # Get xml_node children because parseDoc return an xmlDocument
+        # and we usually test against an xmlNode
+        xml_node = libxml2.parseDoc("<test />").children
+        self.assertTrue(is_xml_equal(str(xml_node), xml_node))
+
+    def test_is_xml_equal_xml_node_vs_str_node(self):
+        """
+        Test if an xml node is equal to its string representation.
+        """
+        # Get xml_node children because parseDoc return an xmlDocument
+        # and we usually test against an xmlNode
+        xml_node = libxml2.parseDoc("<test />").children
+        self.assertTrue(is_xml_equal(xml_node, str(xml_node)))
+
+    def test_is_xml_equal_namespace(self):
+        """
+        Test for namespace equality.
+        """
+        self.assertTrue(is_xml_equal("<test xmlns='http://test.com' />",
+                                     "<test xmlns='http://test.com' />"))
+
     ###########################################################################
     ## Test weak equality
     ###########################################################################