diff --git a/plugins/reusePaths.js b/plugins/reusePaths.js
index 8e93bda5..79ba5c20 100644
--- a/plugins/reusePaths.js
+++ b/plugins/reusePaths.js
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ exports.fn = () => {
             }
           }
           if (defsTag.children.length !== 0) {
+            if (node.attributes['xmlns:xlink'] == null) {
+              node.attributes['xmlns:xlink'] = 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink';
+            }
             node.children.unshift(defsTag);
           }
         }
diff --git a/test/plugins/reusePaths.01.svg b/test/plugins/reusePaths.01.svg
index 36303859..e177f845 100644
--- a/test/plugins/reusePaths.01.svg
+++ b/test/plugins/reusePaths.01.svg
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 @@@
 
-<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
     <defs>
         <path id="test0" d="M 10,50 l 20,30 L 20,30"/>
         <path d="M 10,50 c 20,30 40,50 60,70 C 20,30 40,50 60,70" id="reuse-0"/>
diff --git a/test/plugins/reusePaths.02.svg b/test/plugins/reusePaths.02.svg
index a938b521..4e7181e5 100644
--- a/test/plugins/reusePaths.02.svg
+++ b/test/plugins/reusePaths.02.svg
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 @@@
 
-<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
     <defs>
         <path id="test0" d="M 10,50 l 20,30 L 20,30"/>
         <path id="test2" stroke="blue" d="M 10,50 l 20,30 L 20,30"/>
diff --git a/test/plugins/reusePaths.03.svg b/test/plugins/reusePaths.03.svg
index 30b8288d..9fb91ad3 100644
--- a/test/plugins/reusePaths.03.svg
+++ b/test/plugins/reusePaths.03.svg
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@
     <text>
         text element
     </text>
-</svg>
\ No newline at end of file
+</svg>