diff --git a/pisi/xmlext.py b/pisi/xmlext.py
index a97de5f2..f8262164 100644
--- a/pisi/xmlext.py
+++ b/pisi/xmlext.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ class XmlError(pisi.Error):
     "named this way because the class if mostly used with an import *"
     pass
 
+#FIXME: these Node's in the following routines seem redundant
+
 def getNodeAttribute(node, attrname):
     """get named attribute from DOM node"""
     if not node.hasAttribute(attrname):
@@ -161,3 +163,13 @@ def addNode(dom, node, tagpath, newnode = None):
         return addTagPath(dom, node, tags, newnode)
 
     return node
+
+def newNode(node, tag):
+    return node.ownerDocument.createElement(tag)
+
+def newTextNode(node, text):
+    return node.ownerDocument.createTextNode(text)
+
+def addText(node, tagPath, text):
+    newnode = newTextNode(node, text)
+    addNode(node.ownerDocument, node, tagPath, newnode)
diff --git a/pisi/xmlfile.py b/pisi/xmlfile.py
index bcd61b39..3fcdf4f1 100644
--- a/pisi/xmlfile.py
+++ b/pisi/xmlfile.py
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ class LocalText(object):
                 #errs.append("Tag '%s' should have at least one '%s' tag\n" % (parent.tagName, d[2]))
         else:
             for node in nodes:
-                lang = getAttribute(node, "xml:lang")
-                c = getText(node)
+                lang = getNodeAttribute(node, "xml:lang")
+                c = getNodeText(node)
                 if not c:
                     #errs.append("Tag '%s' should have some text data\n" % node.tagName)
                     break
@@ -98,7 +98,11 @@ class LocalText(object):
             
     def encode(self, xml, node):
         for key in self.locs.iterkeys():
-            lang = addTextNode(node, key, self.locs[key])
+            newnode = newNode(node, self.tag)
+            newnode.setAttribute('xml:lang', key)     
+            newtext = newTextNode(node, self.locs[key])
+            newnode.appendChild(newtext)
+            node.appendChild(newnode)
     
     def format(self):
         return ''
@@ -275,6 +279,8 @@ class autoxml(type):
             return cls.gen_anon_basic(tag, spec, readtext, writetext)
         elif type(tag_type) is types.ListType:
             return cls.gen_list_tag(tag, spec)
+        elif tag_type is LocalText:
+            return cls.gen_insetclass_tag(tag, spec)
         elif type(tag_type) is autoxml or type(tag_type) is types.TypeType:
             return cls.gen_class_tag(tag, spec)
         else:
@@ -494,6 +500,59 @@ class autoxml(type):
         
         return (init, decode, encode, format)
 
+    def gen_insetclass_tag(cls, tag, spec):
+        """generate a class datatype that is highly integrated
+           don't worry if that means nothing to you. this is a silly
+           hack to implement local text quickly. it's not the most 
+           elegant thing in the world. it's basically a copy of 
+           class tag"""
+        name, tag_type, req, path = cls.parse_spec(tag, spec)
+
+        def make_object():
+            obj = tag_type.__new__(tag_type)
+            obj.__init__(tag, spec)
+            return obj
+
+        def init():
+            return make_object()
+
+        def decode(node):
+            if node:
+                try:
+                    obj = make_object()
+                    obj.decode(node)
+                    return obj
+                except Error:
+                    raise Error('Type mismatch: DOM cannot be decoded')
+            else:
+                if req == mandatory:
+                    raise Error('Mandatory argument not available')
+                else:
+                    return None
+
+        def encode(xml, node, obj):
+            if node and obj:
+                try:
+                    #FIXME: this doesn't look pretty
+                    obj.encode(xml, node)
+                except Error:
+                    if req == mandatory:
+                        # note: we can receive an error if obj has no content
+                        raise Error('Object cannot be encoded')                    
+            else:
+                if req == mandatory:
+                    raise Error('Mandatory argument not available')
+                
+        def format(obj):
+            try:
+                return obj.format()
+            except Error:
+                if req == mandatory:
+                    raise Error('Mandatory argument not available')
+                else:
+                    return ""
+        return (init, decode, encode, format)
+
     basic_cons_map = {
         types.StringType : str,
         types.IntType : int