diff --git a/c_src/fxml_stream.c b/c_src/fxml_stream.c
index f75e203..e9b5677 100644
--- a/c_src/fxml_stream.c
+++ b/c_src/fxml_stream.c
@@ -862,10 +862,25 @@ static ERL_NIF_TERM parse_element_nif(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc,
 {
   ERL_NIF_TERM el;
   ErlNifBinary bin;
+  int use_maps = 0;
 
-  if (argc != 1)
+  if (argc != 1 && argc != 2)
     return enif_make_badarg(env);
 
+  if (argc == 2) {
+    if (!enif_is_list(env, argv[1]))
+      return enif_make_badarg(env);
+
+    ERL_NIF_TERM head, tail = argv[1];
+    while (enif_get_list_cell(env, tail, &head, &tail)) {
+      char buf[16];
+      if (enif_get_atom(env, head, buf, sizeof(buf), ERL_NIF_LATIN1)) {
+        if (strcmp("use_maps", buf) == 0)
+          use_maps = 1;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   if (!enif_inspect_binary(env, argv[0], &bin))
     return enif_make_badarg(env);
 
@@ -874,6 +889,7 @@ static ERL_NIF_TERM parse_element_nif(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc,
     return enif_make_badarg(env);
 
   state->send_env = env;
+  state->use_maps = use_maps;
 
   xmlel_stack_t *xmlel = enif_alloc(sizeof(xmlel_stack_t));
   if (!xmlel) {
@@ -1060,6 +1076,7 @@ static ErlNifFunc nif_funcs[] =
     {"new", 3, new_nif},
     {"parse", 2, parse_nif},
     {"parse_element", 1, parse_element_nif},
+    {"parse_element", 2, parse_element_nif},
     {"reset", 1, reset_nif},
     {"close", 1, close_nif},
     {"change_callback_pid", 2, change_callback_pid_nif}
diff --git a/src/fxml_stream.erl b/src/fxml_stream.erl
index 23f3b1d..046fb47 100644
--- a/src/fxml_stream.erl
+++ b/src/fxml_stream.erl
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 -on_load(init/0).
 
 -export([new/1, new/2, new/3, parse/2, close/1, reset/1,
-	 change_callback_pid/2, parse_element/1]).
+	 change_callback_pid/2, parse_element/1, parse_element/2]).
 
 -export([load_nif/0, load_nif/1]).
 
@@ -113,3 +113,9 @@ close(_State) ->
 
 parse_element(_Str) ->
     erlang:nif_error(nif_not_loaded).
+
+-spec parse_element(binary(), [use_maps]) -> xmlel() |
+                                             {error, atom()} |
+                                             {error, {integer(), binary()}}.
+parse_element(_Str, _Options) ->
+    erlang:nif_error(nif_not_loaded).
diff --git a/test/elixir/fast_xml_test.exs b/test/elixir/fast_xml_test.exs
index 6ee1cf8..62081ed 100644
--- a/test/elixir/fast_xml_test.exs
+++ b/test/elixir/fast_xml_test.exs
@@ -15,19 +15,22 @@
 defmodule FastXMLTest do
   use ExUnit.Case
 
-  # TODO: we should be able to pass :use_maps option to :fxml_stream.parse_element/2
+  test "Parse element can return Elixir structs" do
+    assert %FastXML.El{name: "root"} == :fxml_stream.parse_element("<root></root>", [:use_maps])
+  end
   
   test "Stream parser can return Elixir structs" do
-    s1 = :fxml_stream.new(self, :infinity, [:no_gen_server, :use_maps])
-    s2 = :fxml_stream.parse(s1, "<root>")
-    assert receive_stanza == %FastXML.StreamStart{name: "root"}
-    s3 = :fxml_stream.parse(s2, "<xmlelement>content cdata</xmlelement>")
-    assert receive_stanza == %FastXML.El{name: "xmlelement", children: ["content cdata"]}
-    s4 = :fxml_stream.parse(s3, "<xmlelement><empty/><subelement attribute='true'>content cdata</subelement></xmlelement>")
-    assert receive_stanza == %FastXML.El{name: "xmlelement", children: ["content cdata"]}
-    s5 = :fxml_stream.parse(s4, "</root>")
-    assert receive_stanza == %FastXML.StreamEnd{name: "root"}
-    :fxml_stream.close(s5)
+    :fxml_stream.new(self(), :infinity, [:no_gen_server, :use_maps])
+    |> :fxml_stream.parse("<root>")
+    |> :fxml_stream.parse("<xmlelement>content cdata</xmlelement>")
+    |> :fxml_stream.parse("<xmlelement><empty/><subelement attribute='true'>content cdata</subelement></xmlelement>")
+    |> :fxml_stream.parse("</root>")
+    |> :fxml_stream.close()
+
+    assert receive_stanza() == %FastXML.StreamStart{name: "root"}
+    assert receive_stanza() == %FastXML.El{name: "xmlelement", children: ["content cdata"]}
+    assert receive_stanza() == %FastXML.El{name: "xmlelement", children: [%FastXML.El{name: "empty"}, %FastXML.El{name: "subelement", attrs: %{"attribute" => "true"}, children: ["content cdata"]}]}
+    assert receive_stanza() == %FastXML.StreamEnd{name: "root"}
   end
 
   test "Size of parsed stanza can be limited" do
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ defmodule FastXMLTest do
 
 # TODO test mismatched tags
   
-  defp receive_stanza do
+  defp receive_stanza() do
     receive do
       result ->
         result
diff --git a/test/fxml_test.erl b/test/fxml_test.erl
index b2f3f55..6bbfaff 100644
--- a/test/fxml_test.erl
+++ b/test/fxml_test.erl
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ tag_with_tags_test() ->
 				    {xmlcdata, <<"cdata2">>}]},
 		 fxml_stream:parse_element(<<"<root><a/>cdata1<b/>cdata2</root>">>)).
 
+use_maps_test() ->
+    ?assertEqual(#{'__struct__' => 'Elixir.FastXML.El', name => <<"root">>, attrs => #{}, children => []}, fxml_stream:parse_element(<<"<root></root>">>, [use_maps])).
+
 receiver(Acc) ->
     receive
 	{'$gen_event', Msg} ->