diff --git a/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer-v2.js b/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer-v2.js
index 509c2198ac..f8560c0f1c 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer-v2.js
+++ b/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer-v2.js
@@ -338,7 +338,6 @@ export const draw = function (text, id) {
       ? select(sandboxElement.nodes()[0].contentDocument.body)
       : select('body');
   const svg = root.select(`[id="${id}"]`);
-  svg.attr('xmlns:xlink', 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink');
 
   // Run the renderer. This is what draws the final graph.
   const element = root.select('#' + id + ' g');
diff --git a/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer.js b/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer.js
index e9ff20df8e..6d0854ad0b 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer.js
+++ b/src/diagrams/class/classRenderer.js
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@ export const draw = function (text, id) {
 
   // Fetch the default direction, use TD if none was found
   const diagram = root.select(`[id='${id}']`);
-  diagram.attr('xmlns:xlink', 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink');
   insertMarkers(diagram);
 
   // Layout graph, Create a new directed graph
diff --git a/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer-v2.js b/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer-v2.js
index 3329ea195b..7c719ecada 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer-v2.js
+++ b/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer-v2.js
@@ -443,7 +443,6 @@ export const draw = function (text, id) {
 
   // Set up an SVG group so that we can translate the final graph.
   const svg = root.select(`[id="${id}"]`);
-  svg.attr('xmlns:xlink', 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink');
 
   // Adds title and description to the flow chart
   addSVGAccessibilityFields(parser.yy, svg, id);
diff --git a/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer.js b/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer.js
index b6058059b3..01b6efb26a 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer.js
+++ b/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowRenderer.js
@@ -425,7 +425,6 @@ export const draw = function (text, id) {
 
   // Set up an SVG group so that we can translate the final graph.
   const svg = root.select(`[id="${id}"]`);
-  svg.attr('xmlns:xlink', 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink');
 
   // Adds title and description to the flow chart
   addSVGAccessibilityFields(parser.yy, svg, id);
diff --git a/src/diagrams/user-journey/journeyRenderer.js b/src/diagrams/user-journey/journeyRenderer.js
index 24ab8cb8a4..8f7650d09b 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/user-journey/journeyRenderer.js
+++ b/src/diagrams/user-journey/journeyRenderer.js
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ export const draw = function (text, id) {
 
   bounds.init();
   const diagram = root.select('#' + id);
-  diagram.attr('xmlns:xlink', 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink');
 
   svgDraw.initGraphics(diagram);
 
diff --git a/src/mermaidAPI.js b/src/mermaidAPI.js
index efa93791a8..4aea9627e8 100644
--- a/src/mermaidAPI.js
+++ b/src/mermaidAPI.js
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@ const render = function (id, _txt, cb, container) {
       .attr('id', id)
       .attr('width', '100%')
       .attr('xmlns', 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg')
+      .attr('xmlns:xlink', 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink')
       .append('g');
   } else {
     // No container was provided