diff --git a/lib/svgo/jsAPI.js b/lib/svgo/jsAPI.js
index bbc99fb4..5361fce0 100644
--- a/lib/svgo/jsAPI.js
+++ b/lib/svgo/jsAPI.js
@@ -132,6 +132,48 @@ JSAPI.prototype.renameElem = function(name) {
 
 };
 
+/**
+ * Determine if element has an attribute by local name
+ * (any, or by name or by name + value).
+ *
+ * @param {String} [name] attribute name
+ * @param {String} [val] attribute value (will be toString()'ed)
+ * @return {Boolean}
+ */
+ JSAPI.prototype.hasAttrLocal = function(localName, val) {
+
+    if (!this.attrs || !Object.keys(this.attrs).length) return false;
+
+    if (!arguments.length) return !!this.attrs;
+
+    var callback;
+
+    switch (val != null && val.constructor && val.constructor.name) {
+        case 'Function': callback = funcValueTest; break;
+        case 'RegExp':   callback = regexpValueTest; break;
+        case 'String':   callback = stringValueTest; break;
+        default:         callback = nameTest;
+    }
+    return this.someAttr(callback);
+
+    function nameTest(attr) {
+        return attr.local === localName;
+    }
+
+    function funcValueTest(attr) {
+        return attr.local === localName && val(attr.value);
+    }
+
+    function regexpValueTest(attr) {
+        return attr.local === localName && val.test(attr.value);
+    }
+
+    function stringValueTest(attr) {
+        return attr.local === localName && val == attr.value;
+    }
+
+};
+
 /**
  * Get a specific attribute from an element
  * (by name or name + value).
diff --git a/plugins/cleanupIDs.js b/plugins/cleanupIDs.js
index 6ae6d914..c89056af 100644
--- a/plugins/cleanupIDs.js
+++ b/plugins/cleanupIDs.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ exports.fn = function(data, params) {
 
                     // save IDs href references
                     else if (
-                        attr.name === 'xlink:href' && (match = attr.value.match(regReferencesHref)) ||
+                        attr.local === 'href' && (match = attr.value.match(regReferencesHref)) ||
                         attr.name === 'begin' && (match = attr.value.match(regReferencesBegin))
                     ) {
                         key = idPrefix + match[1];
diff --git a/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.js b/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.js
index 02803d82..356a5835 100644
--- a/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.js
+++ b/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.js
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ var container = require('./_collections').elemsGroups.container;
 exports.fn = function(item) {
 
     return !(item.isElem(container) && !item.isElem('svg') && item.isEmpty() &&
-        (!item.isElem('pattern') || !item.hasAttr('xlink:href')));
+        (!item.isElem('pattern') || !item.hasAttrLocal('href')));
 
 };
diff --git a/plugins/removeEmptyText.js b/plugins/removeEmptyText.js
index fd80e950..049b1819 100644
--- a/plugins/removeEmptyText.js
+++ b/plugins/removeEmptyText.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ exports.fn = function(item, params) {
     if (
         params.tref &&
         item.isElem('tref') &&
-        !item.hasAttr('xlink:href')
+        !item.hasAttrLocal('href')
     ) return false;
 
 };
diff --git a/plugins/removeRasterImages.js b/plugins/removeRasterImages.js
index 71ee9c58..cbddebe3 100644
--- a/plugins/removeRasterImages.js
+++ b/plugins/removeRasterImages.js
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ exports.fn = function(item) {
 
     if (
         item.isElem('image') &&
-        item.hasAttr('xlink:href') &&
-        /(\.|image\/)(jpg|png|gif)/.test(item.attr('xlink:href').value)
+        item.hasAttrLocal('href', /(\.|image\/)(jpg|png|gif)/)
     ) {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/test/plugins/cleanupIDs.05.svg b/test/plugins/cleanupIDs.05.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1cdd603a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/plugins/cleanupIDs.05.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <path d="M0 0" id="a"/>
+    <use x:href="#a" x="50" y="50"/>
+</svg>
+
+@@@
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <path d="M0 0" id="a"/>
+    <use x:href="#a" x="50" y="50"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/test/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.03.svg b/test/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.03.svg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..24bb71ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/plugins/removeEmptyContainers.03.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <defs>
+        <pattern id="a">
+            <rect/>
+        </pattern>
+        <pattern x:href="url(#a)" id="b"/>
+    </defs>
+    <g>
+        <marker>
+            <a/>
+        </marker>
+        <path d="..."/>
+    </g>
+</svg>
+
+@@@
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <defs>
+        <pattern id="a">
+            <rect/>
+        </pattern>
+        <pattern x:href="url(#a)" id="b"/>
+    </defs>
+    <g>
+        <path d="..."/>
+    </g>
+</svg>