diff --git a/genericfileelement.h b/genericfileelement.h
index 3c83724..e767d9d 100644
--- a/genericfileelement.h
+++ b/genericfileelement.h
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ public:
     uint64 totalSize() const;
     uint64 endOffset() const;
     uint64 maxTotalSize() const;
+    byte level() const;
     ImplementationType* parent();
     const ImplementationType* parent() const;
     ImplementationType* nextSibling();
@@ -436,6 +437,18 @@ inline uint64 GenericFileElement<ImplementationType>::maxTotalSize() const
     return m_maxSize;
 }
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Returns how deep the element is nested (0 for top-level elements, 1 for children of
+ *        top-level elements, ...).
+ */
+template<class ImplementationType>
+byte GenericFileElement<ImplementationType>::level() const
+{
+    byte level = 0;
+    for(const ImplementationType *parent = m_parent; parent; ++level, parent = parent->m_parent);
+    return level;
+}
+
 /*!
  * \brief Returns the parent of the element.
  *