diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7a3e52fa389..7c5035ac3c3 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -9242,6 +9242,48 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlSchemaSetValidStructuredErrors" = x""yes; then :
 
 $as_echo "#define HAVE_XMLSCHEMASSETVALIDSTRUCTUREDERRORS 1" >>confdefs.h
 
+fi
+
+             { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for xmlFirstElementChild in -lxml2" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for xmlFirstElementChild in -lxml2... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlFirstElementChild+set}" = set; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lxml2 $ac_xml_libs $LIBS"
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char xmlFirstElementChild ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return xmlFirstElementChild ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlFirstElementChild=yes
+else
+  ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlFirstElementChild=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlFirstElementChild" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlFirstElementChild" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_xml2_xmlFirstElementChild" = x""yes; then :
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_XMLFIRSTELEMENTCHILD 1" >>confdefs.h
+
 fi
 
              ac_fn_c_check_type "$LINENO" "xmlDocProperties" "ac_cv_type_xmlDocProperties" "#include <libxml/tree.h>
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d4430bec1a9..598673d61ce 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1121,6 +1121,8 @@ then
                 [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XMLNEWDOCPI,1,[Define if libxml2 has the xmlNewDocPI function])],,$ac_xml_libs)
              AC_CHECK_LIB(xml2, xmlSchemaSetValidStructuredErrors,
                 [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XMLSCHEMASSETVALIDSTRUCTUREDERRORS,1,[Define if libxml2 has the xmlSchemaSetValidStructuredErrors function])],,$ac_xml_libs)
+             AC_CHECK_LIB(xml2, xmlFirstElementChild,
+                [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XMLFIRSTELEMENTCHILD,1,[Define if libxml2 has the xmlFirstElementChild function])],,$ac_xml_libs)
              AC_CHECK_TYPE([xmlDocProperties],
                 [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XMLDOC_PROPERTIES,1,[Define if libxml2 has the xmlDocProperties enum])],,[[#include <libxml/tree.h>]])
         ])
diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h b/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h
index 183f97cacc9..e7a143ec55f 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h
@@ -112,6 +112,18 @@ BOOL dispex_query_interface(DispatchEx*,REFIID,void**);
 
 #include <libxml/xmlerror.h>
 
+#ifndef HAVE_XMLFIRSTELEMENTCHILD
+static inline xmlNodePtr xmlFirstElementChild(xmlNodePtr parent)
+{
+    xmlNodePtr child;
+    for (child = parent->children; child != NULL; child = child->next)
+        if (child->type == XML_ELEMENT_NODE)
+            break;
+
+    return child;
+}
+#endif
+
 /* constructors */
 extern IUnknown         *create_domdoc( xmlNodePtr document );
 extern IUnknown         *create_xmldoc( void );
diff --git a/include/config.h.in b/include/config.h.in
index 46adad8743e..3117f695d15 100644
--- a/include/config.h.in
+++ b/include/config.h.in
@@ -1108,6 +1108,9 @@
 /* Define if libxml2 has the xmlDocProperties enum */
 #undef HAVE_XMLDOC_PROPERTIES
 
+/* Define if libxml2 has the xmlFirstElementChild function */
+#undef HAVE_XMLFIRSTELEMENTCHILD
+
 /* Define if libxml2 has the xmlNewDocPI function */
 #undef HAVE_XMLNEWDOCPI