diff --git a/src/path/PathItem.js b/src/path/PathItem.js
index e8c84beb..b84a1e3c 100644
--- a/src/path/PathItem.js
+++ b/src/path/PathItem.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ var PathItem = Item.extend(/** @lends PathItem# */{
 
         // First split the path data into parts of command-coordinates pairs
         // Commands are any of these characters: mzlhvcsqta
-        var parts = data.match(/[mlhvcsqtaz][^mlhvcsqtaz]*/ig),
+        var parts = data && data.match(/[mlhvcsqtaz][^mlhvcsqtaz]*/ig),
             coords,
             relative = false,
             previous,
diff --git a/src/svg/SvgImport.js b/src/svg/SvgImport.js
index 84ba1369..1c6271a9 100644
--- a/src/svg/SvgImport.js
+++ b/src/svg/SvgImport.js
@@ -141,7 +141,8 @@ new function() {
             param = { pathData: data };
         // If there are multiple moveTo commands or a closePath command followed
         // by other commands, we have a CompoundPath:
-        return (data.match(/m/gi) || []).length > 1 || /z\S+/i.test(data)
+        // TODO: PathItem.create()?
+        return (data && data.match(/m/gi) || []).length > 1 || /z\b/i.test(data)
                 ? new CompoundPath(param)
                 : new Path(param);
     }
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ new function() {
             destination = getPoint(node, 'x2', 'y2', false, scaleToBounds);
         }
         var color = applyAttributes(
-            new Color(gradient, origin, destination, highlight), node);
+                new Color(gradient, origin, destination, highlight), node);
         // TODO: Consider adding support for _scaleToBounds to Color instead?
         color._scaleToBounds = scaleToBounds;
         // We don't return the gradient, since we only need a reference to it in
@@ -588,12 +589,16 @@ new function() {
         }
         // Have items imported from SVG not bake in all transformations to their
         // content and children, as this is how SVG works too, but preserve the
-        // current setting so we can restore it after.
+        // current setting so we can restore it after. Also don't insert them
+        // into the scene graph automatically, as we do so by hand.
         var settings = paper.settings,
-            applyMatrix = settings.applyMatrix;
+            applyMatrix = settings.applyMatrix,
+            insertItems = settings.insertItems;
         settings.applyMatrix = false;
+        settings.insertItems = false;
         var importer = importers[type],
             item = importer && importer(node, type, options, isRoot) || null;
+        settings.insertItems = insertItems;
         settings.applyMatrix = applyMatrix;
         if (item) {
             // Do not apply attributes if this is a #document node.
@@ -709,7 +714,10 @@ new function() {
     // NOTE: Documentation is in Item#importSVG()
     Item.inject({
         importSVG: function(node, options) {
-            return this.addChild(importSVG(node, options));
+            var res = importSVG(node, options);
+            if (!options || options.insert !== false)
+                this.addChild(res);
+            return res;
         }
     });
 
@@ -717,7 +725,12 @@ new function() {
     Project.inject({
         importSVG: function(node, options) {
             this.activate();
-            return importSVG(node, options);
+            var res = importSVG(node, options);
+            if (!options || options.insert !== false) {
+                // TODO: Implement support for Layer parsing / insertion.
+                this.getActiveLayer().addChild(res);
+            }
+            return res;
         }
     });
 };
diff --git a/test/helpers.js b/test/helpers.js
index 358a819b..732b71b7 100644
--- a/test/helpers.js
+++ b/test/helpers.js
@@ -462,19 +462,13 @@ var compareBoolean = function(actual, expected, message, options) {
 };
 
 var createSVG = function(str, attrs) {
-    if (attrs) {
-        // Similar to SvgElement.create():
-        var node = document.createElementNS('http://www.w3.org/2000/svg', str);
-        for (var key in attrs)
-            node.setAttribute(key, attrs[key]);
-        // Paper.js paths do not have a fill by default, SVG does.
-        node.setAttribute('fill', 'none');
-        return node;
-    } else {
-        return new window.DOMParser().parseFromString(
-            '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">' + str + '</svg>',
-            'text/xml');
-    }
+    // Similar to SvgElement.create():
+    var node = document.createElementNS('http://www.w3.org/2000/svg', str);
+    for (var key in attrs)
+        node.setAttribute(key, attrs[key]);
+    // Paper.js paths do not have a fill by default, SVG does.
+    node.setAttribute('fill', 'none');
+    return node;
 };
 
 var compareSVG = function(done, actual, expected, message, options) {
diff --git a/test/tests/SvgImport.js b/test/tests/SvgImport.js
index c851ad0d..933c4bc9 100644
--- a/test/tests/SvgImport.js
+++ b/test/tests/SvgImport.js
@@ -115,11 +115,23 @@ test('Import SVG polyline', function() {
 });
 
 test('Import complex CompoundPath and clone', function() {
-    var svg = createSVG('<path fill="red" d="M4,14h20v-2H4V14z M15,26h7v-2h-7V26z M15,22h9v-2h-9V22z M15,18h9v-2h-9V18z M4,26h9V16H4V26z M28,10V6H0v22c0,0,0,4,4,4 h25c0,0,3-0.062,3-4V10H28z M4,30c-2,0-2-2-2-2V8h24v20c0,0.921,0.284,1.558,0.676,2H4z"/>');
+    var svg = '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill="red" d="M4,14h20v-2H4V14z M15,26h7v-2h-7V26z M15,22h9v-2h-9V22z M15,18h9v-2h-9V18z M4,26h9V16H4V26z M28,10V6H0v22c0,0,0,4,4,4 h25c0,0,3-0.062,3-4V10H28z M4,30c-2,0-2-2-2-2V8h24v20c0,0.921,0.284,1.558,0.676,2H4z"/></svg>';
     var item = paper.project.importSVG(svg);
     equals(item.clone(), item, null, { cloned: true });
 });
 
+test('Import SVG without insertion', function() {
+    var svg = createSVG('path', { d: '' });
+    var imported = paper.project.importSVG(svg, { insert: true });
+    equals(function() {
+        return imported.parent === project.activeLayer;
+    }, true);
+    var imported = paper.project.importSVG(svg, { insert: false });
+    equals(function() {
+        return imported.parent === null;
+    }, true);
+});
+
 function importSVG(assert, url, message, options) {
     var done = assert.async();
     project.importSVG(url, {