diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index b052a53..faa60d5 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -214,11 +214,7 @@ impl<T: 'static + Display + Debug> ChainError<T> {
 
     /// return the root cause of the error chain, if any exists
     pub fn root_cause(&self) -> Option<&(dyn Error + 'static)> {
-        let mut cause = self as &(dyn Error + 'static);
-        while let Some(c) = cause.source() {
-            cause = c;
-        }
-        Some(cause)
+        self.iter().last()
     }
 
     /** find the first error cause of type U, if any exists
@@ -270,17 +266,7 @@ impl<T: 'static + Display + Debug> ChainError<T> {
     ~~~
     **/
     pub fn find_cause<U: Error + 'static>(&self) -> Option<&U> {
-        let mut cause = self as &(dyn Error + 'static);
-        loop {
-            if cause.is::<U>() {
-                return cause.downcast_ref::<U>();
-            }
-
-            match cause.source() {
-                Some(c) => cause = c,
-                None => return None,
-            }
-        }
+        self.iter().filter_map(Error::downcast_ref::<U>()).next()
     }
 
     /** find the first error cause of type ChainError<U>, if any exists
@@ -299,17 +285,9 @@ impl<T: 'static + Display + Debug> ChainError<T> {
 
     **/
     pub fn find_chain_cause<U: Error + 'static>(&self) -> Option<&ChainError<U>> {
-        let mut cause = self as &(dyn Error + 'static);
-        loop {
-            if cause.is::<ChainError<U>>() {
-                return cause.downcast_ref::<ChainError<U>>();
-            }
-
-            match cause.source() {
-                Some(c) => cause = c,
-                None => return None,
-            }
-        }
+        self.iter()
+            .filter_map(Error::downcast_ref::<ChainError<U>>())
+            .next()
     }
 
     /** return a reference to T of `ChainError<T>`
@@ -374,6 +352,26 @@ impl<T: 'static + Display + Debug> ChainError<T> {
     pub fn kind(&self) -> &T {
         &self.kind
     }
+
+    pub fn iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &(dyn Error + 'static)> {
+        ErrorIter {
+            current: Some(self),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+struct ErrorIter<'a> {
+    current: Option<&'a (dyn Error + 'static)>,
+}
+
+impl<'a> Iterator for ErrorIter<'a> {
+    type Item = &'a (dyn Error + 'static);
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
+        let current = self.current;
+        self.current = self.current.and_then(Error::source);
+        current
+    }
 }
 
 /** convenience trait to hide the `ChainError<T>` implementation internals
diff --git a/tests/test_iter.rs b/tests/test_iter.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c351160
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_iter.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+use chainerror::*;
+use std::error::Error;
+use std::fmt::Write;
+use std::io;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_iter() -> Result<(), Box<Error>> {
+    let err = io::Error::from(io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+    let err = cherr!(err, "1");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "2");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "3");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "4");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "5");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "6");
+
+    let mut res = String::new();
+
+    for e in err.iter() {
+        write!(res, "{}", e.to_string())?;
+    }
+    assert_eq!(res, "654321entity not found");
+
+    let io_error: Option<&io::Error> = err
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(Error::downcast_ref::<io::Error>)
+        .next();
+
+    assert_eq!(io_error.unwrap().kind(), io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_find_cause() -> Result<(), Box<Error>> {
+    let err = io::Error::from(io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+    let err = cherr!(err, "1");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "2");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "3");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "4");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "5");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "6");
+
+    let io_error: Option<&io::Error> = err.find_cause::<io::Error>();
+
+    assert_eq!(io_error.unwrap().kind(), io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_root_cause() -> Result<(), Box<Error>> {
+    let err = io::Error::from(io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+    let err = cherr!(err, "1");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "2");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "3");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "4");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "5");
+    let err = cherr!(err, "6");
+
+    let err: Option<&(dyn std::error::Error + 'static)> = err.root_cause();
+    let io_error: Option<&io::Error> = err.and_then(Error::downcast_ref::<io::Error>);
+
+    assert_eq!(io_error.unwrap().kind(), io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+
+    Ok(())
+}