diff --git a/dev/tests/unit/testsuite/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/ElementTest.php b/dev/tests/unit/testsuite/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/ElementTest.php
index 48973d01e3fd4..2532ca987449d 100644
--- a/dev/tests/unit/testsuite/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/ElementTest.php
+++ b/dev/tests/unit/testsuite/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/ElementTest.php
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ public function testAppendChild()
         $baseXml = simplexml_load_string('<root/>', 'Magento\Framework\Simplexml\Element');
         /** @var \Magento\Framework\Simplexml\Element $appendXml */
         $appendXml = simplexml_load_string(
-            '<node_a attr="abc"><node_b>text</node_b></node_a>',
+            '<node_a attr="abc"><node_b innerAttribute="xyz">text</node_b></node_a>',
             'Magento\Framework\Simplexml\Element'
         );
         $baseXml->appendChild($appendXml);
 
-        $expectedXml = '<root><node_a attr="abc"><node_b>text</node_b></node_a></root>';
+        $expectedXml = '<root><node_a attr="abc"><node_b innerAttribute="xyz">text</node_b></node_a></root>';
         $this->assertXmlStringEqualsXmlString($expectedXml, $baseXml->asNiceXml());
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/Element.php b/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/Element.php
index 98c881f1dd274..d8293fb802328 100644
--- a/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/Element.php
+++ b/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/Simplexml/Element.php
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ public function xmlentities($value = null)
      */
     public function appendChild($source)
     {
-        if ($source->children()) {
+        if ($source->count()) {
             $child = $this->addChild($source->getName());
         } else {
             $child = $this->addChild($source->getName(), $this->xmlentities($source));