diff --git a/MongoDB/include/Poco/MongoDB/Document.h b/MongoDB/include/Poco/MongoDB/Document.h
index eeb1f233f..de6884553 100644
--- a/MongoDB/include/Poco/MongoDB/Document.h
+++ b/MongoDB/include/Poco/MongoDB/Document.h
@@ -86,27 +86,36 @@ public:
 		/// Destructor
 
 
-	void addElement(Element::Ptr element);
-		/// Add an element to the document
+	Document& addElement(Element::Ptr element);
+		/// Add an element to the document.
+		/// The active document is returned to allow chaining of the add methods.
 
 
 	template<typename T>
-	void add(const std::string& name, T value)
-		/// Creates an element with the given name and value
+	Document& add(const std::string& name, T value)
+		/// Creates an element with the given name and value and
 		// adds it to the document.
+		/// The active document is returned to allow chaining of the add methods.
 	{
-		addElement(new ConcreteElement<T>(name, value));
+		return addElement(new ConcreteElement<T>(name, value));
 	}
 
 
-	void add(const std::string& name, const char* value)
-		/// Creates an element with the given name and value
+	Document& add(const std::string& name, const char* value)
+		/// Creates an element with the given name and value and
 		// adds it to the document.
+		/// The active document is returned to allow chaining of the add methods.
 	{
-		addElement(new ConcreteElement<std::string>(name, std::string(value)));
+		return addElement(new ConcreteElement<std::string>(name, std::string(value)));
 	}
 
 
+	Document& addNewDocument(const std::string& name);
+		/// Create a new document and add it to this document.
+		/// Unlike the other add methods, this method returns
+		/// a reference to the new document.
+
+
 	void clear();
 		/// Removes all elements from the document.
 
@@ -212,6 +221,21 @@ protected:
 };
 
 
+inline Document& Document::addElement(Element::Ptr element)
+{
+	_elements.insert(element);
+	return *this;
+}
+
+
+inline Document& Document::addNewDocument(const std::string& name)
+{
+	Document::Ptr newDoc = new Document();
+	add(name, newDoc);
+	return *newDoc;
+}
+
+
 inline void Document::clear()
 {
 	_elements.clear();
diff --git a/MongoDB/src/Document.cpp b/MongoDB/src/Document.cpp
index c84a77310..90aa18fbf 100644
--- a/MongoDB/src/Document.cpp
+++ b/MongoDB/src/Document.cpp
@@ -220,9 +220,5 @@ void Document::write(BinaryWriter& writer)
 	writer << '\0';
 }
 
-void Document::addElement(Element::Ptr element)
-{
-	_elements.insert(element);
-}
 
 }} // Namespace Poco::MongoDB