diff -r e58b9f2cf8a3 wokkel/pubsub.py
--- a/wokkel/pubsub.py	Fri Jan 01 01:34:14 2010 +0100
+++ b/wokkel/pubsub.py	Fri Jan 01 11:12:36 2010 +0100
@@ -119,33 +119,47 @@
 
 
 
-class Item(domish.Element):
+class Item(object):
     """
     Publish subscribe item.
 
-    This behaves like an object providing L{domish.IElement}.
-
-    Item payload can be added using C{addChild} or C{addRawXml}, or using the
-    C{payload} keyword argument to C{__init__}.
+    @ivar itemIdentifier: optional item identifier
+    @type itemIdentifier: L{unicode}
+    @ivar payload: optional item payload. Either as a domish element, or as
+        serialized XML.
+    @type payload: object providing L{domish.IElement} or L{unicode}.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, id=None, payload=None):
+    def __init__(self, itemIdentifier=None, payload=None):
+        self.itemIdentifier = itemIdentifier
+        self.payload = payload
+
+
+    def toElement(self, namespace=NS_PUBSUB):
         """
-        @param id: optional item identifier
-        @type id: L{unicode}
-        @param payload: optional item payload. Either as a domish element, or
-                        as serialized XML.
-        @type payload: object providing L{domish.IElement} or L{unicode}.
+        Render to a DOM representation.
+
+        Usually called by when rendering requests or responses. The optional
+        C{namespace} argument is for rendering the item in that namespace, so
+        L{Item} is usable in all contexts involving items.
+
+        @param namespace: The namespace of the item. Usually L{NS_PUBSUB} or
+            L{NS_PUBSUB_EVENT}.
+        @type: C{unicode}
+        @rtype: L{domish.Element}
         """
+        element = domish.Element((namespace, 'item'))
 
-        domish.Element.__init__(self, (NS_PUBSUB, 'item'))
-        if id is not None:
-            self['id'] = id
-        if payload is not None:
-            if isinstance(payload, basestring):
-                self.addRawXml(payload)
+        if self.itemIdentifier is not None:
+            element['id'] = self.itemIdentifier
+
+        if self.payload is not None:
+            if isinstance(self.payload, basestring):
+                self.addRawXml(self.payload)
             else:
-                self.addChild(payload)
+                self.addChild(self.payload)
+
+        return element
 
 
 
@@ -309,7 +323,13 @@
         self.items = []
         for element in verbElement.elements():
             if element.uri == NS_PUBSUB and element.name == 'item':
-                self.items.append(element)
+                item = Item()
+                item.itemIdentifier = element.getAttribute('id')
+                try:
+                    item.payload = element.elements().next()
+                except StopIteration:
+                    pass
+                self.items.append(item)
 
 
     def _render_items(self, verbElement):
@@ -318,7 +338,7 @@
         """
         if self.items:
             for item in self.items:
-                verbElement.addChild(item)
+                verbElement.addChild(item.toElement())
 
 
     def _parse_jid(self, verbElement):
@@ -1124,7 +1144,7 @@
         items["node"] = request.nodeIdentifier
 
         for item in result:
-            items.addChild(item)
+            items.addChild(item.toElement())
 
         return response
 
diff -r e58b9f2cf8a3 wokkel/test/test_pubsub.py
--- a/wokkel/test/test_pubsub.py	Fri Jan 01 01:34:14 2010 +0100
+++ b/wokkel/test/test_pubsub.py	Fri Jan 01 11:12:36 2010 +0100
@@ -365,7 +365,6 @@
         items = list(domish.generateElementsQNamed(child.children,
                                                    'item', NS_PUBSUB))
         self.assertEquals(1, len(items))
-        self.assertIdentical(item, items[0])
 
         response = toResponse(iq, 'result')
         self.stub.send(response)
@@ -699,8 +698,8 @@
 
         request = pubsub.PubSubRequest.fromElement(parseXml(xml))
         self.assertEqual(2, len(request.items))
-        self.assertEqual(u'item1', request.items[0]["id"])
-        self.assertEqual(u'item2', request.items[1]["id"])
+        self.assertEqual(u'item1', request.items[0].itemIdentifier)
+        self.assertEqual(u'item2', request.items[1].itemIdentifier)
 
 
     def test_fromElementPublishNoNode(self):