diff --git a/plugins/reusePaths.js b/plugins/reusePaths.js
index 4d91d6f9d..d1cb53b14 100644
--- a/plugins/reusePaths.js
+++ b/plugins/reusePaths.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const { detachNodeFromParent, querySelectorAll } = require('../lib/xast');
+
 /**
  * @typedef {import('../lib/types').XastElement} XastElement
  * @typedef {import('../lib/types').XastParent} XastParent
@@ -26,9 +28,18 @@ exports.fn = () => {
    */
   const paths = new Map();
 
+  /**
+   * Reference to the first defs element that is a direct child of the svg
+   * element if one exists.
+   *
+   * @type {XastElement}
+   * @see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG/Element/defs
+   */
+  let svgDefs;
+
   return {
     element: {
-      enter: (node) => {
+      enter: (node, parentNode) => {
         if (node.name === 'path' && node.attributes.d != null) {
           const d = node.attributes.d;
           const fill = node.attributes.fill || '';
@@ -41,6 +52,15 @@ exports.fn = () => {
           }
           list.push(node);
         }
+
+        if (
+          svgDefs == null &&
+          node.name === 'defs' &&
+          parentNode.type === 'element' &&
+          parentNode.name === 'svg'
+        ) {
+          svgDefs = node;
+        }
       },
 
       exit: (node, parentNode) => {
@@ -48,17 +68,22 @@ exports.fn = () => {
           /**
            * @type {XastElement}
            */
-          const defsTag = {
-            type: 'element',
-            name: 'defs',
-            attributes: {},
-            children: [],
-          };
-          // TODO remove legacy parentNode in v4
-          Object.defineProperty(defsTag, 'parentNode', {
-            writable: true,
-            value: node,
-          });
+          let defsTag = svgDefs;
+
+          if (defsTag == null) {
+            defsTag = {
+              type: 'element',
+              name: 'defs',
+              attributes: {},
+              children: [],
+            };
+            // TODO remove legacy parentNode in v4
+            Object.defineProperty(defsTag, 'parentNode', {
+              writable: true,
+              value: node,
+            });
+          }
+
           let index = 0;
           for (const list of paths.values()) {
             if (list.length > 1) {
@@ -90,11 +115,41 @@ exports.fn = () => {
               defsTag.children.push(reusablePath);
               // convert paths to <use>
               for (const pathNode of list) {
-                pathNode.name = 'use';
-                pathNode.attributes['xlink:href'] = '#' + id;
                 delete pathNode.attributes.d;
                 delete pathNode.attributes.stroke;
                 delete pathNode.attributes.fill;
+
+                if (
+                  defsTag.children.includes(pathNode) &&
+                  pathNode.children.length === 0
+                ) {
+                  if (Object.keys(pathNode.attributes).length === 0) {
+                    detachNodeFromParent(pathNode, defsTag);
+                    continue;
+                  }
+
+                  if (
+                    Object.keys(pathNode.attributes).length === 1 &&
+                    pathNode.attributes.id != null
+                  ) {
+                    detachNodeFromParent(pathNode, defsTag);
+                    const selector = `[xlink\\:href=#${pathNode.attributes.id}], [href=#${pathNode.attributes.id}]`;
+                    for (const child of querySelectorAll(node, selector)) {
+                      if (child.type !== 'element') {
+                        continue;
+                      }
+                      for (const name of ['href', 'xlink:href']) {
+                        if (child.attributes[name] != null) {
+                          child.attributes[name] = '#' + id;
+                        }
+                      }
+                    }
+                    continue;
+                  }
+                }
+
+                pathNode.name = 'use';
+                pathNode.attributes['xlink:href'] = '#' + id;
               }
             }
           }
@@ -102,7 +157,10 @@ exports.fn = () => {
             if (node.attributes['xmlns:xlink'] == null) {
               node.attributes['xmlns:xlink'] = 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink';
             }
-            node.children.unshift(defsTag);
+
+            if (svgDefs == null) {
+              node.children.unshift(defsTag);
+            }
           }
         }
       },
diff --git a/test/plugins/reusePaths.04.svg b/test/plugins/reusePaths.04.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d5b57425
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/plugins/reusePaths.04.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+Don't create a new defs tag if one already exists as a direct child of the svg
+element.
+
+===
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="-29.947 60.987 69.975 102.505">
+  <defs></defs>
+  <path fill="#000" d="M0 0v1h.5Z"/>
+  <path fill="#000" d="M0 0v1h.5Z"/>
+  <path fill="#000" d="M0 0v1h.5Z"/>
+</svg>
+
+@@@
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="-29.947 60.987 69.975 102.505">
+    <defs>
+        <path fill="#000" d="M0 0v1h.5Z" id="reuse-0"/>
+    </defs>
+    <use xlink:href="#reuse-0"/>
+    <use xlink:href="#reuse-0"/>
+    <use xlink:href="#reuse-0"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/test/plugins/reusePaths.05.svg b/test/plugins/reusePaths.05.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7cfd410c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/plugins/reusePaths.05.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+When merging existing defs, remove redundant paths with no attributes or only
+an ID attribute.
+
+===
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="1.0" viewBox="0 0 400 360">
+  <defs>
+    <path id="a" d="M51.94 428.2c14.5-32.39 36.88-59.5 64.38-81.96 13.76-11.23 65.04-24.09 73.86-16.58 9.45 8.06 13.45 26.18 5.53 38.45-1.23 1.9-37.38 26.83-39.1 28.32-2.19 1.9-38.65 17.58-43.76 19.51-14.02 5.28-29.47 10.43-44.31 12.71-3.19.5-14.98 3.85-16.6-.45z"/>
+    <path id="b" d="M51.94 428.2c14.5-32.39 36.88-59.5 64.38-81.96 13.76-11.23 65.04-24.09 73.86-16.58 9.45 8.06 13.45 26.18 5.53 38.45-1.23 1.9-37.38 26.83-39.1 28.32-2.19 1.9-38.65 17.58-43.76 19.51-14.02 5.28-29.47 10.43-44.31 12.71-3.19.5-14.98 3.85-16.6-.45z"/>
+    <clipPath id="c">
+      <use xlink:href="#b" width="100%" height="100%" overflow="visible"/>
+    </clipPath>
+  </defs>
+  <g transform="matrix(.491 0 0 .491 10.63 63.15)">
+    <use xlink:href="#b" width="100%" height="100%" fill="#fff" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" overflow="visible"/>
+    <path fill="none" stroke="#c8cacc" stroke-miterlimit="3.86" stroke-width="66.34" d="M48.33 412.36c14.5-32.39 36.89-59.5 64.39-81.96 13.75-11.23 65.03-24.09 73.85-16.58 9.45 8.06 13.45 26.18 5.53 38.45-1.22 1.9-37.38 26.83-39.09 28.32-2.2 1.9-38.65 17.58-43.77 19.51-14.01 5.28-29.47 10.44-44.3 12.71-3.2.5-14.99 3.85-16.61-.45z" clip-path="url(#c)"/>
+  </g>
+</svg>
+
+@@@
+
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="1.0" viewBox="0 0 400 360">
+    <defs>
+        <clipPath id="c">
+            <use xlink:href="#a" width="100%" height="100%" overflow="visible"/>
+        </clipPath>
+        <path id="a" d="M51.94 428.2c14.5-32.39 36.88-59.5 64.38-81.96 13.76-11.23 65.04-24.09 73.86-16.58 9.45 8.06 13.45 26.18 5.53 38.45-1.23 1.9-37.38 26.83-39.1 28.32-2.19 1.9-38.65 17.58-43.76 19.51-14.02 5.28-29.47 10.43-44.31 12.71-3.19.5-14.98 3.85-16.6-.45z"/>
+    </defs>
+    <g transform="matrix(.491 0 0 .491 10.63 63.15)">
+        <use xlink:href="#a" width="100%" height="100%" fill="#fff" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" overflow="visible"/>
+        <path fill="none" stroke="#c8cacc" stroke-miterlimit="3.86" stroke-width="66.34" d="M48.33 412.36c14.5-32.39 36.89-59.5 64.39-81.96 13.75-11.23 65.03-24.09 73.85-16.58 9.45 8.06 13.45 26.18 5.53 38.45-1.22 1.9-37.38 26.83-39.09 28.32-2.2 1.9-38.65 17.58-43.77 19.51-14.01 5.28-29.47 10.44-44.3 12.71-3.2.5-14.99 3.85-16.61-.45z" clip-path="url(#c)"/>
+    </g>
+</svg>