diff --git a/src/element.rs b/src/element.rs
index d883c04..5b5f048 100644
--- a/src/element.rs
+++ b/src/element.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ pub struct NamespaceDeclaration {
 // names are qualified, they contain a reference to the namespace (held within the reader/writer)
 #[derive(PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Name {
-    pub namespace: String,
+    pub namespace: Option<String>,
     pub local_name: String,
 }
 
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index abc3354..8387373 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
             .chain(element_namespace_declarations.iter())
             .collect();
 
-        // element name and default attribute namespace
+        // element name
 
         let element_namespace_declaration;
         let element_local_name = s_tag.name.local_part().to_string();
@@ -330,10 +330,8 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
             }
         }
 
-        let element_default_namespace = element_namespace_declaration
-            .ok_or_else(|| Error::UnqualifiedNamespace(s_tag.name.to_string()))?
-            .namespace
-            .clone();
+        let element_default_namespace =
+            element_namespace_declaration.map(|decl| decl.namespace.clone());
 
         let element_name = Name {
             namespace: element_default_namespace,
@@ -361,20 +359,24 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
                                 namespace_declaration.prefix.as_deref() == Some(prefix)
                             });
                 }
-                None => attribute_namespace_declaration = element_namespace_declaration,
+                None => attribute_namespace_declaration = None,
             }
+            let name;
             if let Some(namespace_declaration) = attribute_namespace_declaration {
-                let name = Name {
-                    namespace: namespace_declaration.namespace.clone(),
+                name = Name {
+                    namespace: Some(namespace_declaration.namespace.clone()),
                     local_name: attribute_local_name,
                 };
-                let value = value.process()?;
-                // check for duplicate attribute
-                if let Some(_value) = attributes.insert(name, value) {
-                    return Err(Error::DuplicateAttribute(q_name.to_string()));
-                }
             } else {
-                return Err(Error::UnqualifiedNamespace(q_name.to_string()));
+                name = Name {
+                    namespace: None,
+                    local_name: attribute_local_name,
+                };
+            }
+            let value = value.process()?;
+            // check for duplicate attribute
+            if let Some(_value) = attributes.insert(name, value) {
+                return Err(Error::DuplicateAttribute(q_name.to_string()));
             }
         }
 
@@ -415,8 +417,7 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
             }
 
             let e_tag_namespace = e_tag_namespace_declaration
-                .ok_or_else(|| Error::UnqualifiedNamespace(xml_e_tag.name.to_string()))?
-                .namespace
+                .map(|decl| decl.namespace.clone())
                 .clone();
 
             let e_tag_name = Name {
@@ -512,10 +513,8 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
             }
         }
 
-        let element_default_namespace = element_namespace_declaration
-            .ok_or_else(|| Error::UnqualifiedNamespace(xml_name.to_string()))?
-            .namespace
-            .clone();
+        let element_default_namespace =
+            element_namespace_declaration.map(|decl| decl.namespace.clone());
 
         let element_name = Name {
             namespace: element_default_namespace,
@@ -541,10 +540,7 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
                 }
             }
 
-            let e_tag_namespace = e_tag_namespace_declaration
-                .ok_or_else(|| Error::UnqualifiedNamespace(xml_name.to_string()))?
-                .namespace
-                .clone();
+            let e_tag_namespace = e_tag_namespace_declaration.map(|decl| decl.namespace.clone());
 
             let e_tag_name = Name {
                 namespace: e_tag_namespace,
@@ -577,20 +573,24 @@ impl<R> Reader<R> {
                                 namespace_declaration.prefix.as_deref() == Some(prefix)
                             });
                 }
-                None => attribute_namespace_declaration = element_namespace_declaration,
+                None => attribute_namespace_declaration = None,
             }
+            let name;
             if let Some(namespace_declaration) = attribute_namespace_declaration {
-                let name = Name {
-                    namespace: namespace_declaration.namespace.clone(),
+                name = Name {
+                    namespace: Some(namespace_declaration.namespace.clone()),
                     local_name: attribute_local_name,
                 };
-                let value = value.process()?;
-                // check for duplicate attribute
-                if let Some(_value) = attributes.insert(name, value) {
-                    return Err(Error::DuplicateAttribute(q_name.to_string()));
-                }
             } else {
-                return Err(Error::UnqualifiedNamespace(q_name.to_string()));
+                name = Name {
+                    namespace: None,
+                    local_name: attribute_local_name,
+                };
+            }
+            let value = value.process()?;
+            // check for duplicate attribute
+            if let Some(_value) = attributes.insert(name, value) {
+                return Err(Error::DuplicateAttribute(q_name.to_string()));
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/writer.rs b/src/writer.rs
index 9e770c7..4881f57 100644
--- a/src/writer.rs
+++ b/src/writer.rs
@@ -23,19 +23,24 @@ impl<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin> Writer<W> {
     }
 
     pub async fn write_start(&mut self, element: Element) -> Result<()> {
-        let mut namespace_declarations_stack: Vec<_> = self
+        let namespace_declarations_stack: Vec<_> = self
             .namespace_declarations
             .iter()
             .flatten()
             .chain(&element.namespace_declarations)
             .collect();
-        let name_namespace_declaration = namespace_declarations_stack
-            .iter()
-            .rfind(|namespace_declaration| {
-                namespace_declaration.namespace == element.name.namespace
-            })
-            .ok_or(Error::UndeclaredNamespace(element.name.namespace.clone()))?;
-        let prefix = &name_namespace_declaration.prefix;
+
+        let prefix;
+        if let Some(namespace) = &element.name.namespace {
+            let name_namespace_declaration = namespace_declarations_stack
+                .iter()
+                .rfind(|namespace_declaration| namespace_declaration.namespace == *namespace)
+                .ok_or(Error::UndeclaredNamespace(namespace.clone()))?;
+            prefix = name_namespace_declaration.prefix.as_ref();
+        } else {
+            prefix = None
+        }
+
         let name;
         if let Some(prefix) = &prefix {
             name = xml::QName::PrefixedName(xml::PrefixedName {
@@ -48,8 +53,6 @@ impl<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin> Writer<W> {
             )?)
         }
 
-        namespace_declarations_stack.push(name_namespace_declaration);
-
         let mut attributes = Vec::new();
 
         for namespace_declaration in &element.namespace_declarations {
@@ -67,6 +70,39 @@ impl<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin> Writer<W> {
             attributes.push(xml_attribute);
         }
 
+        for (name, value) in &element.attributes {
+            let prefix;
+            if let Some(namespace) = &name.namespace {
+                let name_namespace_declaration = namespace_declarations_stack
+                    .iter()
+                    .rfind(|namespace_declaration| namespace_declaration.namespace == *namespace)
+                    .ok_or(Error::UndeclaredNamespace(namespace.clone()))?;
+                prefix = name_namespace_declaration.prefix.as_ref();
+            } else {
+                prefix = None
+            }
+
+            let att_name;
+            if let Some(prefix) = &prefix {
+                att_name = xml::QName::PrefixedName(xml::PrefixedName {
+                    prefix: xml::Prefix::parse_full(prefix)?,
+                    local_part: xml::LocalPart::parse_full(&element.name.local_name)?,
+                })
+            } else {
+                att_name = xml::QName::UnprefixedName(xml::UnprefixedName::parse_full(
+                    &element.name.local_name,
+                )?)
+            }
+
+            let value = xml::AttValue::from(value.as_str());
+
+            let xml_attribute = xml::Attribute::Attribute {
+                name: att_name,
+                value,
+            };
+            attributes.push(xml_attribute);
+        }
+
         let s_tag = xml::STag { name, attributes };
 
         s_tag.write(&mut self.inner).await?;
@@ -82,12 +118,18 @@ impl<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin> Writer<W> {
             let e_tag;
             let namespace_declarations_stack: Vec<_> =
                 self.namespace_declarations.iter().flatten().collect();
-            let namespace_declaration = namespace_declarations_stack
-                .iter()
-                .rfind(|namespace_declaration| namespace_declaration.namespace == name.namespace)
-                // will always be in this vector
-                .unwrap();
-            let prefix = &namespace_declaration.prefix;
+
+            let prefix;
+            if let Some(namespace) = &name.namespace {
+                let name_namespace_declaration = namespace_declarations_stack
+                    .iter()
+                    .rfind(|namespace_declaration| namespace_declaration.namespace == *namespace)
+                    .ok_or(Error::UndeclaredNamespace(namespace.clone()))?;
+                prefix = name_namespace_declaration.prefix.as_ref();
+            } else {
+                prefix = None
+            }
+
             if let Some(prefix) = &prefix {
                 e_tag = xml::ETag {
                     name: xml::QName::PrefixedName(xml::PrefixedName {