Index: src/OFXMLElement.h
==================================================================
--- src/OFXMLElement.h
+++ src/OFXMLElement.h
@@ -325,11 +325,11 @@
  */
 - (void)bindPrefix: (OFString*)prefix
       forNamespace: (OFString*)ns;
 
 /**
- * Sets the default namespace for the element.
+ * Sets the default namespace for the element to be used if there is no parent.
  *
  * \param ns The default namespace for the element
  */
 - (void)setDefaultNamespace: (OFString*)ns;
 

Index: src/OFXMLElement.m
==================================================================
--- src/OFXMLElement.m
+++ src/OFXMLElement.m
@@ -367,13 +367,10 @@
 		str->isa = [OFString class];
 		return str;
 	}
 
 	pool = [[OFAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
-	def_ns = (defaultNamespace != nil
-	    ? defaultNamespace
-	    : (parent != nil ? parent->defaultNamespace : (OFString*)nil));
 
 	if (parent != nil && parent->namespaces != nil) {
 		OFEnumerator *key_enum = [namespaces keyEnumerator];
 		OFEnumerator *obj_enum = [namespaces objectEnumerator];
 		id key, obj;
@@ -390,20 +387,25 @@
 	prefix = [all_namespaces objectForKey:
 	    (ns != nil ? ns : (OFString*)@"")];
 	parent_prefix = [all_namespaces objectForKey:
 	    (parent != nil && parent->ns != nil ? parent->ns : (OFString*)@"")];
 
+	if (parent != nil && parent->ns != nil && parent_prefix == nil)
+		def_ns = parent->ns;
+	else if (parent != nil && parent->defaultNamespace != nil)
+		def_ns = parent->defaultNamespace;
+	else
+		def_ns = defaultNamespace;
+
 	i = 0;
 	len = [name cStringLength] + 3;
 	str_c = [self allocMemoryWithSize: len];
 
 	/* Start of tag */
 	str_c[i++] = '<';
 
-	if (prefix != nil && ![ns isEqual: def_ns] &&
-	    (![ns isEqual: (parent != nil ? parent->ns : (OFString*)nil)] ||
-	    parent_prefix != nil)) {
+	if (prefix != nil && ![ns isEqual: def_ns]) {
 		len += [prefix cStringLength] + 1;
 		@try {
 			str_c = [self resizeMemory: str_c
 					    toSize: len];
 		} @catch (id e) {
@@ -419,13 +421,12 @@
 
 	memcpy(str_c + i, [name cString], [name cStringLength]);
 	i += [name cStringLength];
 
 	/* xmlns if necessary */
-	if (ns != nil && prefix == nil && ![ns isEqual: def_ns] &&
-	     (![ns isEqual: (parent != nil ? parent->ns : (OFString*)nil)] ||
-	     parent_prefix != nil)) {
+	if (prefix == nil && ((ns != nil && ![ns isEqual: def_ns]) ||
+	    (ns == nil && def_ns != nil))) {
 		len += [ns cStringLength] + 9;
 
 		@try {
 			str_c = [self resizeMemory: str_c
 					    toSize: len];
@@ -437,12 +438,10 @@
 		memcpy(str_c + i, " xmlns='", 8);
 		i += 8;
 		memcpy(str_c + i, [ns cString], [ns cStringLength]);
 		i += [ns cStringLength];
 		str_c[i++] = '\'';
-
-		def_ns = ns;
 	}
 
 	/* Attributes */
 	attrs_carray = [attributes cArray];
 	attrs_count = [attributes count];