diff --git a/sources/scala/xml/MetaData.scala b/sources/scala/xml/MetaData.scala
index 5e55b7fe6..f5e93da05 100644
--- a/sources/scala/xml/MetaData.scala
+++ b/sources/scala/xml/MetaData.scala
@@ -66,7 +66,11 @@ abstract class MetaData extends Iterable[MetaData] {
   def elements = new Iterator[MetaData] {
     var x: MetaData = MetaData.this; 
     def hasNext = Null != x;
-    def next = x.next;
+    def next = { 
+      val y = x; 
+      x = x.next; 
+      y 
+    }
   }
 
   /** shallow equals method */