diff --git a/basis/xml/syntax/syntax.factor b/basis/xml/syntax/syntax.factor
index f395920..f41f17e 100644
--- a/basis/xml/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/basis/xml/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ sequences summary lexer splitting combinators locals xml.data
 memoize sequences.deep xml.data xml.state xml namespaces present
 arrays generalizations strings make math macros multiline
 inverse combinators.short-circuit sorting fry unicode.categories
-effects ;
+effects hashtables ;
 IN: xml.syntax
 
 <PRIVATE
@@ -14,15 +14,21 @@ TUPLE: no-tag name word ;
 M: no-tag summary
     drop "The tag-dispatching word has no method for the given tag name" ;
 
+: build-cases ( key hashtable -- key quot )
+    >alist 2dup delete-at* [ drop [ no-tag new throw ] ] unless suffix
+    '[ dup url>> _ case ] ;
+
 : compile-tags ( word xtable -- quot )
-    >alist swap '[ _ no-tag boa throw ] suffix
+    >alist [ build-cases ] assoc-map
+    swap '[ _ no-tag boa throw ] suffix
     '[ dup main>> _ case ] ;
 
 : define-tags ( word effect -- )
     [ dup dup "xtable" word-prop compile-tags ] dip define-declared ;
 
-:: define-tag ( string word quot -- )
-    quot string word "xtable" word-prop set-at
+:: define-tag ( tag namespace word quot -- )
+    quot namespace tag word "xtable" word-prop
+    [ ?set-at ] change-at
     word word stack-effect define-tags ;
 
 PRIVATE>
@@ -34,7 +40,10 @@ SYNTAX: TAGS:
     2bi ;
 
 SYNTAX: TAG:
-    scan scan-word parse-definition define-tag ;
+    scan f scan-word parse-definition define-tag ;
+
+SYNTAX: TAG-NS:
+    scan scan scan-word parse-definition define-tag ;
 
 SYNTAX: XML-NS:
     CREATE-WORD scan '[ f swap _ <name> ] (( string -- name )) define-memoized ;