3 files changed, 14 insertions, 21 deletions
diff --git a/lib/rexml/attribute.rb b/lib/rexml/attribute.rb
index 37671cf15f..8933a013a2 100644
--- a/lib/rexml/attribute.rb
+++ b/lib/rexml/attribute.rb
@@ -67,15 +67,11 @@ module REXML
     #  e.add_attribute( "nsa:a", "aval" )
     #  e.add_attribute( "b", "bval" )
     #  e.attributes.get_attribute( "a" ).prefix   # -> "nsa"
-    #  e.attributes.get_attribute( "b" ).prefix   # -> "elns"
+    #  e.attributes.get_attribute( "b" ).prefix   # -> ""
     #  a = Attribute.new( "x", "y" )
     #  a.prefix                                   # -> ""
     def prefix
-      pf = super
-      if pf == ""
-        pf = @element.prefix if @element
-      end
-      pf
+      super
     end
 
     # Returns the namespace URL, if defined, or nil otherwise
@@ -87,9 +83,8 @@ module REXML
     #  e.attribute("ns:a").namespace # => "http://url"
     #  e.attribute("nsx:a").namespace # => nil
     #
-    # TODO: This method should always return nil for no namespace
-    # attribute. Because the default namespace doesn't apply to
-    # attribute name.
+    # This method always returns "" for no namespace attribute. Because
+    # the default namespace doesn't apply to attribute names.
     #
     # From https://www.w3.org/TR/xml-names/#uniqAttrs
     #
@@ -99,10 +94,14 @@ module REXML
     #  e.add_namespace("", "http://example.com/")
     #  e.namespace # => "http://example.com/"
     #  e.add_attribute("a", "b")
-    #  e.attribute("a").namespace # => nil
+    #  e.attribute("a").namespace # => ""
     def namespace arg=nil
       arg = prefix if arg.nil?
-      @element.namespace arg
+      if arg == ""
+        ""
+      else
+        @element.namespace(arg)
+      end
     end
 
     # Returns true if other is an Attribute and has the same name and value,
diff --git a/lib/rexml/element.rb b/lib/rexml/element.rb
index de83ec3b51..c706a7c245 100644
--- a/lib/rexml/element.rb
+++ b/lib/rexml/element.rb
@@ -1133,8 +1133,8 @@ module REXML
       elsif old_attr.prefix != value.prefix
         # Check for conflicting namespaces
         if value.prefix != "xmlns" and old_attr.prefix != "xmlns"
-          old_namespace = @element.namespace(old_attr.prefix)
-          new_namespace = @element.namespace(value.prefix)
+          old_namespace = old_attr.namespace
+          new_namespace = value.namespace
           if old_namespace == new_namespace
             raise ParseException.new(
                     "Namespace conflict in adding attribute \"#{value.name}\": "+
diff --git a/lib/rexml/xpath_parser.rb b/lib/rexml/xpath_parser.rb
index 47fa4ef84e..321bc481af 100644
--- a/lib/rexml/xpath_parser.rb
+++ b/lib/rexml/xpath_parser.rb
@@ -493,17 +493,11 @@ module REXML
               if prefix.nil?
                 raw_node.name == name
               elsif prefix.empty?
-                # FIXME: This DOUBLES the time XPath searches take
-                raw_node.name == name and
-                  raw_node.namespace == raw_node.element.namespace
+                raw_node.name == name and raw_node.namespace == ""
               else
                 # FIXME: This DOUBLES the time XPath searches take
                 ns = get_namespace(raw_node.element, prefix)
-                if ns.empty?
-                  raw_node.name == name and raw_node.prefix.empty?
-                else
-                  raw_node.name == name and raw_node.namespace == ns
-                end
+                raw_node.name == name and raw_node.namespace == ns
               end
             else
               false