diff --git a/karax/karax.nim b/karax/karax.nim
index 7fdcde0..2383b5b 100644
--- a/karax/karax.nim
+++ b/karax/karax.nim
@@ -194,8 +194,15 @@ proc toDom*(n: VNode; useAttachedNode: bool; kxi: KaraxInstance = nil): Node =
     result = toDom(x.expanded, useAttachedNode, kxi)
     attach n
     return result
-  else:
-    result = document.createElement(toTag[n.kind])
+  else: # we are dealing with fundamental tags at this point, and not nim components/functions
+    if (svgElements*needingNamespace).contains(n.kind):
+      result = document.createElementNS(svgNamespace,toTag[n.kind]) #svg top-level elements need to be declared with a namespace
+      #we apply a default so that users can just treat it like html in the DSL while learning 
+    
+    elif (mathElements*needingNamespace).contains(n.kind): #mathML needs a similar treatment as svg
+      result = document.createElementNS(mathNamespace,toTag[n.kind])
+    else:
+      result = document.createElement(toTag[n.kind])
     attach n
     for k in n:
       appendChild(result, toDom(k, useAttachedNode, kxi))
diff --git a/karax/vdom.nim b/karax/vdom.nim
index 1bec42d..e1d2f58 100644
--- a/karax/vdom.nim
+++ b/karax/vdom.nim
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ type
 const
   selfClosing = {area, base, br, col, embed, hr, img, input,
     link, meta, param, source, track, wbr}
+    
+const
+  svgElements* = {animate..view}
+  mathElements* = {maction..semantics}
+  needingNamespace* = {svg,math}
+    
+var 
+  svgNamespace* = "http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+  mathNamespace* = "http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
+  #global var settings: defaults are already set up, but may be adjusted in one shot for the user's entire project
+
 
 type
   EventKind* {.pure.} = enum ## The events supported by the virtual DOM.