diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/__init__.py b/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/__init__.py
index 690475f28..311329798 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.pens.transformPen import TransformPen
 from fontTools.misc import etree
 from .parser import parse_path
+from .shapes import PathBuilder
 
 
 __all__ = [tostr(s) for s in ("SVGPath", "parse_path")]
@@ -50,5 +51,10 @@ class SVGPath(object):
     def draw(self, pen):
         if self.transform:
             pen = TransformPen(pen, self.transform)
-        for el in self.root.findall(".//{http://www.w3.org/2000/svg}path[@d]"):
-            parse_path(el.get("d"), pen)
+        pb = PathBuilder()
+        # xpath | doesn't seem to reliable work so just walk it
+        for el in self.root.iter():
+            pb.AddPathFromElement(el)
+        for path in pb.pathes:
+            parse_path(path, pen)
+
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py b/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py
index ba77a0312..bb4f93acf 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/svgLib/path/shapes.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ class PathBuilder(object):
   def __init__(self):
     self.pathes = []
 
-  def StartPath(self):
-    self.pathes.append('')
+  def StartPath(self, initial_path=''):
+    self.pathes.append(initial_path)
 
   def EndPath(self):
     self._Add('z')
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class PathBuilder(object):
   def v(self, x):
     self._vhline('v', y)
 
-  def Rect(self, rect):
+  def _ParseRect(self, rect):
     # TODO what format(s) do these #s come in?
     x = float(rect.attrib.get('x', 0))
     y = float(rect.attrib.get('y', 0))
@@ -82,3 +82,15 @@ class PathBuilder(object):
     if rx > 0:
       self.A(rx, ry, x + rx, y)
     self.EndPath()
+
+  def _ParsePath(self, path):
+    if 'd' in path.attrib:
+      self.StartPath(initial_path=path.attrib['d'])
+
+  def AddPathFromElement(self, el):
+    tag = el.tag
+    if '}' in el.tag:
+      tag = el.tag.split('}', 1)[1]  # from https://bugs.python.org/issue18304
+    parse_fn = getattr(self, '_Parse%s' % tag.lower().capitalize(), None)
+    if callable(parse_fn):
+      parse_fn(el)
diff --git a/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py b/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py
index 7611f58f0..b1ae7e0bd 100644
--- a/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py
+++ b/Tests/svgLib/path/shapes_test.py
@@ -8,27 +8,41 @@ import pytest
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "rect, expected_path",
+    "svg_xml, expected_path",
     [
-        # minimal valid example
+        # path: direct passthrough
+        (
+          "<path d='I love kittens'/>",
+          "I love kittens"
+        ),
+        # path no @d
+        (
+          "<path duck='Mallard'/>",
+          None
+        ),
+        # rect: minimal valid example
         (
             "<rect width='1' height='1'/>",
             "M0,0 H1 V1 H0 V0 z",
         ),
-        # sharp corners
+        # rect: sharp corners
         (
             "<rect x='10' y='11' width='17' height='11'/>",
             "M10,11 H27 V22 H10 V11 z",
         ),
-        # round corners
+        # rect: round corners
         (
             "<rect x='9' y='9' width='11' height='7' rx='2'/>",
             "M11,9 H18 A2,2 0 0 1 20,11 V14 A2,2 0 0 1 18,16 H11"
             " A2,2 0 0 1 9,14 V11 A2,2 0 0 1 11,9 z",
-        )
+        ),
     ]
 )
-def test_rect_to_path(rect, expected_path):
+def test_el_to_path(svg_xml, expected_path):
     pb = shapes.PathBuilder()
-    pb.Rect(etree.fromstring(rect))
-    assert [expected_path] == pb.pathes
+    pb.AddPathFromElement(etree.fromstring(svg_xml))
+    if expected_path:
+      expected = [expected_path]
+    else:
+      expected = []
+    assert pb.pathes == expected