diff --git a/src/user/user_model.cc b/src/user/user_model.cc
index 7402ef91..ea0c0028 100644
--- a/src/user/user_model.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_model.cc
@@ -892,6 +892,14 @@ mjsElement* mjCModel::NextObject(mjsElement* object, mjtObj type) {
   }
 
   switch (type) {
+    case mjOBJ_BODY:
+    case mjOBJ_SITE:
+    case mjOBJ_GEOM:
+    case mjOBJ_JOINT:
+    case mjOBJ_CAMERA:
+    case mjOBJ_LIGHT:
+    case mjOBJ_FRAME:
+      return bodies_[0]->NextChild(object, type, /*recursive=*/true);
     case mjOBJ_ACTUATOR:
       return GetNext(actuators_, object);
     case mjOBJ_SENSOR:
diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.cc b/src/user/user_objects.cc
index 742f7e3c..370140ab 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.cc
@@ -1253,26 +1253,38 @@ mjCBase* mjCBody::FindObject(mjtObj type, std::string _name, bool recursive) {
 
 
 template <class T>
-static mjsElement* GetNext(std::vector<T*>& list, mjsElement* child) {
+mjsElement* mjCBody::GetNext(std::vector<T*>& list, const mjsElement* child, bool recursive) {
+  if (list.empty()) {
+    // no children
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
   if (!child) {
-    if (list.empty()) {
-      return nullptr;
-    }
+    // first child
     return list[0]->spec.element;
   }
 
   for (unsigned int i = 0; i < list.size()-1; i++) {
+    // next child is in this body
     if (list[i]->spec.element == child) {
       return list[i+1]->spec.element;
     }
   }
+
+  if (recursive && list.back()->spec.element == child) {
+    // next child is in next body
+    for (int i=0; i<(int)bodies.size(); i++) {
+      return bodies[i]->NextChild(NULL, child->elemtype, true);
+    }
+  }
+
   return nullptr;
 }
 
 
 
 // get next child of given type
-mjsElement* mjCBody::NextChild(mjsElement* child, mjtObj type) {
+mjsElement* mjCBody::NextChild(mjsElement* child, mjtObj type, bool recursive) {
   if (type == mjOBJ_UNKNOWN) {
     if (!child) {
       throw mjCError(this, "child type must be specified if no child element is given");
@@ -1283,25 +1295,44 @@ mjsElement* mjCBody::NextChild(mjsElement* child, mjtObj type) {
     throw mjCError(this, "child element is not of requested type");
   }
 
+  mjsElement* candidate = nullptr;
   switch (type) {
     case mjOBJ_BODY:
     case mjOBJ_XBODY:
-      return GetNext(bodies, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(bodies, child, recursive);
+      break;
     case mjOBJ_JOINT:
-      return GetNext(joints, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(joints, child, recursive);
+      break;
     case mjOBJ_GEOM:
-      return GetNext(geoms, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(geoms, child, recursive);
+      break;
     case mjOBJ_SITE:
-      return GetNext(sites, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(sites, child, recursive);
+      break;
     case mjOBJ_CAMERA:
-      return GetNext(cameras, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(cameras, child, recursive);
+      break;
     case mjOBJ_LIGHT:
-      return GetNext(lights, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(lights, child, recursive);
+      break;
     case mjOBJ_FRAME:
-      return GetNext(frames, child);
+      candidate = GetNext(frames, child, recursive);
+      break;
     default:
-      return nullptr;
+      break;
   }
+
+  if (!candidate && recursive) {
+    for (int i=0; i<(int)bodies.size(); i++) {
+      candidate = bodies[i]->NextChild(child, type, true);
+      if (candidate) {
+        return candidate;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return candidate;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.h b/src/user/user_objects.h
index 47442f1d..bf514b9b 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.h
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.h
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ class mjCBody : public mjCBody_, private mjsBody {
   const std::vector<double>& get_userdata() { return userdata_; }
 
   // get next child of given type
-  mjsElement* NextChild(mjsElement* child, mjtObj type = mjOBJ_UNKNOWN);
+  mjsElement* NextChild(mjsElement* child, mjtObj type = mjOBJ_UNKNOWN, bool recursive = false);
 
   // reset keyframe references for allowing self-attach
   void ForgetKeyframes() const;
@@ -355,6 +355,10 @@ class mjCBody : public mjCBody_, private mjsBody {
   template <typename T>
   void CopyList(std::vector<T*>& dst, const std::vector<T*>& src,
                 std::map<mjCFrame*, int>& fmap, const mjCFrame* pframe = nullptr);
+
+  // gets next child of the same type in this body
+  template <class T>
+  mjsElement* GetNext(std::vector<T*>& list, const mjsElement* child, bool recursive = false);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/test/user/user_api_test.cc b/test/user/user_api_test.cc
index 3e1b96e4..bb084d6c 100644
--- a/test/user/user_api_test.cc
+++ b/test/user/user_api_test.cc
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ TEST_F(MujocoTest, TreeTraversal) {
   mjSpec* spec = mj_makeSpec();
   mjsBody* world = mjs_findBody(spec, "world");
   mjsBody* body = mjs_addBody(world, 0);
+  mjsBody* body1 = mjs_addBody(body, 0);
 
   mjsSite* site1 = mjs_addSite(body, 0);
   mjsGeom* geom1 = mjs_addGeom(body, 0);
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ TEST_F(MujocoTest, TreeTraversal) {
   mjsSite* site2 = mjs_addSite(body, 0);
   mjsSite* site3 = mjs_addSite(body, 0);
   mjsGeom* geom3 = mjs_addGeom(body, 0);
+  mjsSite* site4 = mjs_addSite(body1, 0);
 
   mjs_setString(site1->name, "site1");
   mjs_setString(geom1->name, "geom1");
@@ -84,30 +86,40 @@ TEST_F(MujocoTest, TreeTraversal) {
   mjs_setString(site2->name, "site2");
   mjs_setString(site3->name, "site3");
   mjs_setString(geom3->name, "geom3");
+  mjs_setString(site4->name, "site4");
 
-  mjsElement* a_el1 = mjs_firstElement(spec, mjOBJ_ACTUATOR);
-  mjsElement* c_el1 = mjs_firstChild(body, mjOBJ_CAMERA);
-  mjsElement* t_el1 = mjs_firstChild(body, mjOBJ_TENDON);
+  mjsElement* a_el0 = mjs_firstElement(spec, mjOBJ_ACTUATOR);
+  mjsElement* l_el0 = mjs_firstElement(spec, mjOBJ_LIGHT);
+  mjsElement* c_el0 = mjs_firstChild(body, mjOBJ_CAMERA);
+  mjsElement* t_el0 = mjs_firstChild(body, mjOBJ_TENDON);
   mjsElement* s_el1 = mjs_firstChild(body, mjOBJ_SITE);
   mjsElement* s_el2 = mjs_nextChild(body, s_el1);
   mjsElement* s_el3 = mjs_nextChild(body, s_el2);
-  mjsElement* s_el4 = mjs_nextChild(body, s_el3);
+  mjsElement* s_el0 = mjs_nextChild(body, s_el3);
+  mjsElement* s_el4 = mjs_firstChild(body1, mjOBJ_SITE);
   mjsElement* g_el1 = mjs_firstChild(body, mjOBJ_GEOM);
   mjsElement* g_el2 = mjs_nextChild(body, g_el1);
   mjsElement* g_el3 = mjs_nextChild(body, g_el2);
-  mjsElement* g_el4 = mjs_nextChild(body, g_el3);
+  mjsElement* g_el0 = mjs_nextChild(body, g_el3);
 
-  EXPECT_EQ(a_el1, nullptr);
-  EXPECT_EQ(c_el1, nullptr);
-  EXPECT_EQ(t_el1, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(a_el0, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(l_el0, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(c_el0, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(t_el0, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(g_el0, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(s_el0, nullptr);
   EXPECT_EQ(s_el1, site1->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(s_el2, site2->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(s_el3, site3->element);
+  EXPECT_EQ(s_el4, site4->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(g_el1, geom1->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(g_el2, geom2->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(g_el3, geom3->element);
-  EXPECT_EQ(g_el4, nullptr);
-  EXPECT_EQ(s_el4, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(s_el1, mjs_firstElement(spec, mjOBJ_SITE));
+  EXPECT_EQ(s_el2, mjs_nextElement(spec, s_el1));
+  EXPECT_EQ(s_el3, mjs_nextElement(spec, s_el2));
+  EXPECT_EQ(s_el4, mjs_nextElement(spec, s_el3));
+  EXPECT_EQ(nullptr, mjs_nextElement(spec, s_el4));
   EXPECT_EQ(mjs_findElement(spec, mjOBJ_SITE, "site1"), site1->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(mjs_findElement(spec, mjOBJ_SITE, "site2"), site2->element);
   EXPECT_EQ(mjs_findElement(spec, mjOBJ_SITE, "site3"), site3->element);