diff --git a/src/parser.js b/src/parser.js
index de6c1c64..b8a3adb9 100644
--- a/src/parser.js
+++ b/src/parser.js
@@ -643,21 +643,36 @@
     getGradientDefs: function(doc) {
       var linearGradientEls = doc.getElementsByTagName('linearGradient'),
           radialGradientEls = doc.getElementsByTagName('radialGradient'),
-          el, i,
-          gradientDefs = { };
+          el, i, j = 0, id, xlink, elList = [ ],
+          gradientDefs = { }, postProcess = { };
 
+      elList.lenght = linearGradientEls.length + radialGradientEls.length;
       i = linearGradientEls.length;
       for (; i--; ) {
-        el = linearGradientEls[i];
-        gradientDefs[el.getAttribute('id')] = el;
+        elList[j++] = linearGradientEls[i];
       }
-
       i = radialGradientEls.length;
       for (; i--; ) {
-        el = radialGradientEls[i];
-        gradientDefs[el.getAttribute('id')] = el;
+        elList[j++] = radialGradientEls[i];
       }
 
+      for (; j--; ) {
+        el = elList[j];
+        xlink = el.getAttribute('xlink:href');
+        id = el.getAttribute('id');
+        if (xlink) {
+          postProcess[id] = xlink.substr(1);
+        }
+        gradientDefs[id] = el;
+      }
+
+      for (id in postProcess) {
+        var el2 = gradientDefs[postProcess[id]].cloneNode(true);
+        el = gradientDefs[id];
+        while (el2.firstChild != null) {
+          el.appendChild(el2.firstChild);
+        }
+      }
       return gradientDefs;
     },