diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person.rb
index a368369..ebbcbcc 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/person.rb
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       property :guid
 
       # @!attribute [r] diaspora_id
-      #   @todo refactoring with properties_dsl, xml name should be diaspora_handle
       #   The diaspora ID of the person
       #   @return [String] diaspora ID
-      property :diaspora_id
+      property :diaspora_id, xml_name: :diaspora_handle
 
       # @!attribute [r] url
       #   @see WebFinger#seed_url
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile.rb
index 6a338f0..c819cff 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/profile.rb
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     # this entity contains all the profile data of a person
     class Profile < Entity
       # @!attribute [r] diaspora_id
-      #   @todo refactoring with properties_dsl, xml name should be diaspora_handle
       #   The diaspora ID of the person
       #   @see Person#diaspora_id
       #   @return [String] diaspora ID
-      property :diaspora_id
+      property :diaspora_id, xml_name: :diaspora_handle
 
       # @!attribute [r] first_name
       #   @deprecated
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/entity.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/entity.rb
index ffe6be0..cbcda87 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/entity.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/entity.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   #     property :prop
   #     property :optional, default: false
   #     property :dynamic_default, default: -> { Time.now }
+  #     property :another_prop, xml_name: :another_name
   #     entity :nested, NestedEntity
   #     entity :multiple, [OtherEntity]
   #   end
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     # @return [Hash] entity data (mostly equal to the hash used for initialization).
     def to_h
       self.class.class_prop_names.each_with_object({}) do |prop, hash|
-        hash[prop] = send(prop)
+        hash[prop] = public_send(prop)
       end
     end
 
@@ -120,24 +121,28 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       doc = Nokogiri::XML::DocumentFragment.new(Nokogiri::XML::Document.new)
       Nokogiri::XML::Element.new(self.class.entity_name, doc).tap do |root_element|
         self.class.class_props.each do |prop_def|
-          name = prop_def[:name]
-          type = prop_def[:type]
-          if type == String
-            root_element << simple_node(doc, name)
-          else
-            # call #to_xml for each item and append to root
-            [*send(name)].compact.each do |item|
-              root_element << item.to_xml
-            end
-          end
+          add_property_to_xml(doc, prop_def, root_element)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    def add_property_to_xml(doc, prop_def, root_element)
+      property = prop_def[:name]
+      type = prop_def[:type]
+      if type == String
+        root_element << simple_node(doc, prop_def[:xml_name], property)
+      else
+        # call #to_xml for each item and append to root
+        [*public_send(property)].compact.each do |item|
+          root_element << item.to_xml
         end
       end
     end
 
     # create simple node, fill it with text and append to root
-    def simple_node(doc, name)
+    def simple_node(doc, name, property)
       Nokogiri::XML::Element.new(name.to_s, doc).tap do |node|
-        data = send(name).to_s
+        data = public_send(property).to_s
         node.content = data unless data.empty?
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl.rb
index abfb9fb..12525d7 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   #   property :prop
   #   property :optional, default: false
   #   property :dynamic_default, default: -> { Time.now }
+  #   property :another_prop, xml_name: :another_name
   #   entity :nested, NestedEntity
   #   entity :multiple, [OtherEntity]
   module PropertiesDSL
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     # @param [Hash] opts further options
     # @option opts [Object, #call] :default a default value, making the
     #   property optional
+    # @option opts [Symbol] :xml_name another name used for xml generation
     def property(name, opts={})
       define_property name, String, opts
     end
@@ -69,7 +71,14 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     def define_property(name, type, opts={})
       raise InvalidName unless name_valid?(name)
 
-      class_props << {name: name, type: type}
+      xml_name = name
+      if opts.has_key? :xml_name
+        raise ArgumentError, "xml_name is not supported for nested entities" unless type == String
+        xml_name = opts[:xml_name]
+        raise InvalidName, "invalid xml_name" unless name_valid?(xml_name)
+      end
+
+      class_props << {name: name, xml_name: xml_name, type: type}
       default_props[name] = opts[:default] if opts.has_key? :default
 
       instance_eval { attr_reader name }
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     # @param [String, Symbol] name the name to check
     # @return [Boolean]
     def name_valid?(name)
-      name.instance_of?(Symbol) || name.instance_of?(String)
+      name.instance_of?(Symbol)
     end
 
     # checks if the type extends {Entity}
diff --git a/spec/entities.rb b/spec/entities.rb
index ee8f312..8ec2002 100644
--- a/spec/entities.rb
+++ b/spec/entities.rb
@@ -20,5 +20,10 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       entity :test, TestEntity
       entity :multi, [OtherEntity]
     end
+
+    class TestEntityWithXmlName < DiasporaFederation::Entity
+      property :test
+      property :qwer, xml_name: :asdf
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entity_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entity_spec.rb
index 408ebed..bc168d3 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entity_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entity_spec.rb
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ module DiasporaFederation
 
       it "contains nodes for each of the properties" do
         entity = Entities::TestDefaultEntity.new(data)
-        entity.to_xml.children.each do |node|
+        xml_children = entity.to_xml.children
+        expect(xml_children).to have_exactly(4).items
+        xml_children.each do |node|
           expect(%w(test1 test2 test3 test4)).to include(node.name)
         end
       end
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       it "gets xml-ified by #to_xml" do
         entity = Entities::TestNestedEntity.new(nested_data)
         xml = entity.to_xml
+        expect(xml.children).to have_exactly(4).items
         xml.children.each do |node|
           expect(%w(asdf test_entity other_entity)).to include(node.name)
         end
@@ -99,5 +102,23 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         expect(xml.xpath("other_entity")).to have_exactly(2).items
       end
     end
+
+    context "xml_name" do
+      let(:hash) { {test: "test", qwer: "qwer"} }
+
+      it "uses xml_name for the #to_xml" do
+        entity = Entities::TestEntityWithXmlName.new(hash)
+        xml_children = entity.to_xml.children
+        expect(xml_children).to have_exactly(2).items
+        xml_children.each do |node|
+          expect(%w(test asdf)).to include(node.name)
+        end
+      end
+
+      it "should not use the xml_name for the #to_h" do
+        entity = Entities::TestEntityWithXmlName.new(hash)
+        expect(entity.to_h).to eq(hash)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl_spec.rb
index 8a225f2..cd8a287 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/properties_dsl_spec.rb
@@ -8,19 +8,12 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         properties = dsl.class_props
         expect(properties).to have(1).item
         expect(properties.first[:name]).to eq(:test)
-        expect(properties.first[:type]).to eq(String)
-      end
-
-      it "can name simple properties by string" do
-        dsl.property "test"
-        properties = dsl.class_props
-        expect(properties).to have(1).item
-        expect(properties.first[:name]).to eq("test")
+        expect(properties.first[:xml_name]).to eq(:test)
         expect(properties.first[:type]).to eq(String)
       end
 
       it "will not accept other types for names" do
-        [1234, true, {}].each do |val|
+        ["test", 1234, true, {}].each do |val|
           expect {
             dsl.property val
           }.to raise_error PropertiesDSL::InvalidName
@@ -34,8 +27,26 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         properties = dsl.class_props
         expect(properties).to have(3).items
         expect(properties.map {|e| e[:name] }).to include(:test, :asdf, :zzzz)
+        expect(properties.map {|e| e[:xml_name] }).to include(:test, :asdf, :zzzz)
         properties.each {|e| expect(e[:type]).to eq(String) }
       end
+
+      it "can add an xml name to simple properties with a symbol" do
+        dsl.property :test, xml_name: :xml_test
+        properties = dsl.class_props
+        expect(properties).to have(1).item
+        expect(properties.first[:name]).to eq(:test)
+        expect(properties.first[:xml_name]).to eq(:xml_test)
+        expect(properties.first[:type]).to eq(String)
+      end
+
+      it "will not accept other types for xml names" do
+        ["test", 1234, true, {}].each do |val|
+          expect {
+            dsl.property :test, xml_name: val
+          }.to raise_error PropertiesDSL::InvalidName, "invalid xml_name"
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context "nested entities" do
@@ -75,6 +86,12 @@ module DiasporaFederation
           }.to raise_error PropertiesDSL::InvalidType
         end
       end
+
+      it "can not add an xml name to a nested entity" do
+        expect {
+          dsl.entity :other, Entities::TestEntity, xml_name: :other_name
+        }.to raise_error ArgumentError, "xml_name is not supported for nested entities"
+      end
     end
 
     describe ".default_values" do