--- src/components/org/apache/jmeter/assertions/XPathAssertion.java	(revision 1410725)
+++ src/components/org/apache/jmeter/assertions/XPathAssertion.java	(working copy)
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ 
 import javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException;
 
 import org.apache.jmeter.samplers.SampleResult;
-import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.AbstractTestElement;
+import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.AbstractScopedAssertion;
 import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.BooleanProperty;
 import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.StringProperty;
 import org.apache.jmeter.util.TidyException;
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ 
  * XPath
  *
  */
-public class XPathAssertion extends AbstractTestElement implements Serializable, Assertion {
+public class XPathAssertion extends AbstractScopedAssertion implements Serializable, Assertion {
     private static final Logger log = LoggingManager.getLoggerForClass();
 
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 240L;
@@ -66,16 +66,25 @@ 
      * XML, and that the XPath expression is matched (or not, as the case may
      * be)
      */
+    
     public AssertionResult getResult(SampleResult response) {
         // no error as default
         AssertionResult result = new AssertionResult(getName());
-        byte[] responseData = response.getResponseData();
+        byte[] responseData = null;
+        result.setFailure(false);
+        result.setFailureMessage("");
+        
+        // Ask if it is ScopeVariable        
+        if (isScopeVariable()){
+        	responseData = getThreadContext().getVariables().get(getVariableName()).getBytes();
+        } else {
+            responseData = response.getResponseData();
+        }                
+
         if (responseData.length == 0) {
             return result.setResultForNull();
         }
-        result.setFailure(false);
-        result.setFailureMessage("");
-
+        
         if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
             log.debug(new StringBuilder("Validation is set to ").append(isValidating()).toString());
             log.debug(new StringBuilder("Whitespace is set to ").append(isWhitespace()).toString());
@@ -120,7 +129,7 @@ 
         XPathUtil.computeAssertionResult(result, doc, getXPathString(), isNegated());
         return result;
     }
-
+    
     /**
      * Get The XPath String that will be used in matching the document
      *
@@ -257,5 +266,4 @@ 
     public boolean isDownloadDTDs() {
         return getPropertyAsBoolean(DOWNLOAD_DTDS, false);
     }
-
 }
--- src/components/org/apache/jmeter/assertions/gui/XPathAssertionGui.java	(revision 1410725)
+++ src/components/org/apache/jmeter/assertions/gui/XPathAssertionGui.java	(working copy)
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ 
 import java.awt.BorderLayout;
 
 import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
+import javax.swing.Box;
 import javax.swing.JPanel;
 
 import org.apache.jmeter.assertions.XPathAssertion;
@@ -64,6 +65,9 @@ 
     public void configure(TestElement el) {
         super.configure(el);
         XPathAssertion assertion = (XPathAssertion) el;
+        
+        showScopeSettings(assertion, true);
+        
         xpath.setXPath(assertion.getXPathString());
         xpath.setNegated(assertion.isNegated());
 
@@ -75,7 +79,10 @@ 
         setBorder(makeBorder());
 
         add(makeTitlePanel());
-
+        Box box = Box.createVerticalBox();
+        box.add(createScopePanel(true));
+        add(box, BorderLayout.NORTH);
+        
         // USER_INPUT
         JPanel sizePanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
         sizePanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(0, 10, 10, 10));
@@ -100,7 +107,10 @@ 
     public void modifyTestElement(TestElement el) {
         super.configureTestElement(el);
         if (el instanceof XPathAssertion) {
+        	
             XPathAssertion assertion = (XPathAssertion) el;
+            saveScopeSettings(assertion);
+
             assertion.setNegated(xpath.isNegated());
             assertion.setXPathString(xpath.getXPath());
             xml.modifyTestElement(assertion);