diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload.rb
index 48f8653..81d65db 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload.rb
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
           type = prop_def[:type]
 
           if type == String
-            data[name] = parse_string_from_node(name, node)
+            data[name] = parse_string_from_node(prop_def[:xml_name], node)
           elsif type.instance_of?(Array)
             data[name] = parse_array_from_node(type, node)
           elsif type.ancestors.include?(Entity)
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/h_card_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/h_card_spec.rb
index 0f4375c..827e0a6 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/h_card_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/h_card_spec.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         last_name:        person.last_name
       }
     }
-    let(:klass) { Discovery::HCard }
 
     let(:html) {
       <<-HTML
@@ -109,9 +108,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
 HTML
     }
 
-    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass" do
-      let(:xml) { nil } # disable to_xml test
-    end
+    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
 
     context "generation" do
       it "creates an instance from a data hash" do
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb
index 9613f92..8e6eace 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         public_key:  person.serialized_public_key
       }
     }
-    let(:klass) { Discovery::WebFinger }
 
     let(:xml) {
       <<-XML
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/location_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/location_spec.rb
index e8cd263..9cf56c3 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/location_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/location_spec.rb
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   <lat>#{data[:lat]}</lat>
   <lng>#{data[:lng]}</lng>
 </location>
-      XML
+XML
     }
 
-    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass" do
-      let(:klass) { Entities::Location }
-    end
+    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
+
+    it_behaves_like "an XML Entity"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person_spec.rb
index d8cdb51..a245543 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 module DiasporaFederation
   describe Entities::Person do
     let(:data) { FactoryGirl.attributes_for(:person_entity) }
-    let(:klass) { Entities::Person }
 
     let(:xml) {
       <<-XML
@@ -30,5 +29,7 @@ XML
     }
 
     it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
+
+    it_behaves_like "an XML Entity"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/photo_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/photo_spec.rb
index e07d5a3..c4c853a 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/photo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/photo_spec.rb
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   <height>#{data[:height]}</height>
   <width>#{data[:width]}</width>
 </photo>
-      XML
+XML
     }
 
-    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass" do
-      let(:klass) { Entities::Photo }
-    end
+    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
+
+    it_behaves_like "an XML Entity"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile_spec.rb
index 0bc15fc..d299d76 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 module DiasporaFederation
   describe Entities::Profile do
     let(:data) { FactoryGirl.attributes_for(:profile_entity) }
-    let(:klass) { Entities::Profile }
 
     let(:xml) {
       <<-XML
@@ -24,5 +23,7 @@ XML
     }
 
     it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
+
+    it_behaves_like "an XML Entity"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/request_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/request_spec.rb
index f142ed6..62592fb 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/request_spec.rb
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   <sender_handle>alice@somepod.org</sender_handle>
   <recipient_handle>bob@otherpod.net</recipient_handle>
 </request>
-      XML
+XML
     }
 
-    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass" do
-      let(:klass) { Entities::Request }
-    end
+    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
+
+    it_behaves_like "an XML Entity"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/status_message_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/status_message_spec.rb
index 08bfa74..dccb5e1 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/status_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/status_message_spec.rb
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       XML
     }
 
-    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass" do
-      let(:klass) { Entities::StatusMessage }
-    end
+    it_behaves_like "an Entity subclass"
+
+    it_behaves_like "an XML Entity"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload_spec.rb
index 2235041..90ee287 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/xml_payload_spec.rb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         end
 
         it "produces the expected XML" do
-          xml_str = <<-XML.strip
+          xml = <<-XML.strip
 <XML>
   <post>
     <test_entity>
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   </post>
 </XML>
 XML
-          expect(subject.to_xml).to eq(xml_str)
+          expect(subject.to_xml).to eq(xml)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -103,6 +103,24 @@ XML
           expect(subject).to be_an_instance_of Entities::TestEntity
           expect(subject.test).to eq("asdf")
         end
+
+        it "uses xml_name for parsing" do
+          xml = <<-XML.strip
+<XML>
+  <post>
+    <test_entity_with_xml_name>
+      <test>asdf</test>
+      <asdf>qwer</asdf>
+    </test_entity>
+  </post>
+</XML>
+XML
+          entity = Salmon::XmlPayload.unpack(Nokogiri::XML::Document.parse(xml).root)
+
+          expect(entity).to be_an_instance_of Entities::TestEntityWithXmlName
+          expect(entity.test).to eq("asdf")
+          expect(entity.qwer).to eq("qwer")
+        end
       end
 
       context "nested entities" do
diff --git a/spec/support/shared_entity_specs.rb b/spec/support/shared_entity_specs.rb
index ce8fb61..bb0b884 100644
--- a/spec/support/shared_entity_specs.rb
+++ b/spec/support/shared_entity_specs.rb
@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
 shared_examples "an Entity subclass" do
   it "should be an Entity" do
-    expect(klass).to be < DiasporaFederation::Entity
+    expect(described_class).to be < DiasporaFederation::Entity
   end
 
   it "has its properties set" do
-    expect(klass.class_prop_names).to include(*data.keys)
+    expect(described_class.class_prop_names).to include(*data.keys)
   end
 
   context "behaviour" do
-    let(:instance) { klass.new(data) }
+    let(:instance) { described_class.new(data) }
 
     describe "initialize" do
       it "must not create blank instances" do
-        expect { klass.new({}) }.to raise_error ArgumentError
+        expect { described_class.new({}) }.to raise_error ArgumentError
       end
 
       it "fails if nil was given" do
-        expect { klass.new(nil) }.to raise_error ArgumentError, "expected a Hash"
+        expect { described_class.new(nil) }.to raise_error ArgumentError, "expected a Hash"
       end
 
       it "should be frozen" do
@@ -29,11 +29,50 @@ shared_examples "an Entity subclass" do
         expect(instance.to_h).to eq(data)
       end
     end
+  end
+end
 
-    describe "#to_xml" do
-      it "produces correct XML" do
-        expect(instance.to_xml.to_s.strip).to eq(xml.strip) unless xml.nil?
-      end
+shared_examples "an XML Entity" do
+  let(:instance) { described_class.new(data) }
+
+  describe "#to_xml" do
+    it "produces correct XML" do
+      expect(instance.to_xml.to_s.strip).to eq(xml.strip)
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "parsing" do
+    it "reads its own output" do
+      packed_xml = DiasporaFederation::Salmon::XmlPayload.pack(instance).to_s
+      xml_root = Nokogiri::XML::Document.parse(packed_xml).root
+      parsed_instance = DiasporaFederation::Salmon::XmlPayload.unpack(xml_root)
+
+      check_entity(instance, parsed_instance)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def check_entity(entity, parsed_entity)
+    entity.class.class_props.each do |prop_def|
+      name = prop_def[:name]
+      type = prop_def[:type]
+
+      value = entity.send(name)
+      parsed_value = parsed_entity.send(name)
+
+      validate_values(parsed_value, type, value)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def validate_values(parsed_value, type, value)
+    if value.nil?
+      expect(parsed_value).to be_nil
+    elsif type == String
+      expect(parsed_value).to eq(value.to_s)
+    elsif type.instance_of?(Array)
+      parsed_entities = parsed_value
+      value.each_with_index { |entity, index| check_entity(entity, parsed_entities[index]) }
+    elsif type.ancestors.include?(DiasporaFederation::Entity)
+      check_entity(value, parsed_value)
     end
   end
 end