diff --git a/src/I18nextProvider.js b/src/I18nextProvider.js
index 953376ff..049d32b0 100644
--- a/src/I18nextProvider.js
+++ b/src/I18nextProvider.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ class I18nextProvider extends Component {
   constructor(props, context) {
     super(props, context);
     this.i18n = props.i18n;
+    this.defaultNS = props.defaultNS;
     if (props.initialI18nStore) {
       this.i18n.services.resourceStore.data = props.initialI18nStore;
       this.i18n.options.isInitialSSR = true; // if set will be deleted on first render in translate hoc
@@ -15,7 +16,10 @@ class I18nextProvider extends Component {
   }
 
   getChildContext() {
-    return { i18n: this.i18n };
+    return {
+      i18n: this.i18n,
+      defaultNS: this.defaultNS
+    };
   }
 
   componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
@@ -32,11 +36,17 @@ class I18nextProvider extends Component {
 
 I18nextProvider.propTypes = {
   i18n: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-  children: PropTypes.element.isRequired
+  children: PropTypes.element.isRequired,
+  defaultNS: PropTypes.string
 };
 
 I18nextProvider.childContextTypes = {
-  i18n: PropTypes.object.isRequired
+  i18n: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+  defaultNS: PropTypes.string
+};
+
+I18nextProvider.defaultProps = {
+  defaultNS: undefined
 };
 
 export default I18nextProvider;
diff --git a/src/translate.js b/src/translate.js
index 59bc5415..0bbb56ca 100644
--- a/src/translate.js
+++ b/src/translate.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default function translate(namespaceArg, options = {}) {
         this.namespaces = typeof namespaceArg === 'function' ? (
           namespaceArg(props)
         ) : (
-          namespaceArg || (this.i18n.options && this.i18n.options.defaultNS)
+          namespaceArg || context.defaultNS || (this.i18n.options && this.i18n.options.defaultNS)
         );
         if (typeof this.namespaces === 'string') this.namespaces = [this.namespaces];
 
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ export default function translate(namespaceArg, options = {}) {
     Translate.WrappedComponent = WrappedComponent;
 
     Translate.contextTypes = {
-      i18n: PropTypes.object
+      i18n: PropTypes.object,
+      defaultNS: PropTypes.string
     };
 
     Translate.displayName = `Translate(${getDisplayName(WrappedComponent)})`;
diff --git a/test/i18nextProvider.spec.js b/test/i18nextProvider.spec.js
index 49c4a229..b02ceb12 100644
--- a/test/i18nextProvider.spec.js
+++ b/test/i18nextProvider.spec.js
@@ -35,10 +35,29 @@ describe('I18nextProvider', () => {
     const render = wrapper.render();
     expect(render).toBe(child);
   });
+  it('should provide defaultNS', () => {
+    const i18n = {
+      options: {},
+      services: {
+        resourceStore: {
+          data: {}
+        }
+      },
+      changeLanguage: () => {}
+    };
+    const wrapper = new I18nextProvider({ i18n, defaultNS: 'provided-namespace', initialI18nStore: {}, initialLanguage: 'en' });
+    expect(wrapper.getChildContext().defaultNS).toBe('provided-namespace');
+    expect(I18nextProvider.childContextTypes.defaultNS)
+      .toBe(PropTypes.string);
+  });
   it('should have i18n proptype required', () => {
     expect(I18nextProvider.propTypes.i18n)
       .toBe(PropTypes.object.isRequired);
   });
+  it('should have defaultNS proptype optional string', () => {
+    expect(I18nextProvider.propTypes.defaultNS)
+      .toBe(PropTypes.string);
+  });
   it('should have children proptype required', () => {
     expect(I18nextProvider.propTypes.children)
       .toBe(PropTypes.element.isRequired);
diff --git a/test/translate.spec.js b/test/translate.spec.js
index 8c30d9d4..d9bd64e8 100644
--- a/test/translate.spec.js
+++ b/test/translate.spec.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ describe('translate', () => {
     const wrapped = wrap(Elem);
     expect(wrapped.WrappedComponent).toBe(Elem);
     expect(wrapped.contextTypes.i18n).toBe(PropTypes.object);
+    expect(wrapped.contextTypes.defaultNS).toBe(PropTypes.string);
     expect(wrapped.displayName).toBe('Translate(Elem)');
     expect(wrapped.namespaces.length).toBe(2);
     expect(wrapped.namespaces[0]).toBe('ns1');
@@ -73,5 +74,51 @@ describe('translate', () => {
 
     expect(instance.i18n).toBe(i18n);
   });
-
+  it('reads defaultNS from context if not provided as an argument', () => {
+    const context = {
+      i18n: {
+        options: {
+          defaultNS: 'i18nDefaultNS'
+        }
+      },
+      defaultNS: 'contextDefaultNS'
+    };
+    const props = { initialI18nStore: {}, initialLanguage: 'en' };
+    const Elem = React.createFactory('Elem');
+    const wrapped = translate()(Elem);
+    const instance = new wrapped(props, context);
+    expect(instance.namespaces.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(instance.namespaces[0]).toBe('contextDefaultNS');
+  });
+  it('reads namespace from argument when provided', () => {
+    const context = {
+      i18n: {
+        options: {
+          defaultNS: 'i18nDefaultNS'
+        }
+      },
+      defaultNS: 'contextDefaultNS'
+    };
+    const props = { initialI18nStore: {}, initialLanguage: 'en' };
+    const Elem = React.createFactory('Elem');
+    const wrapped = translate('namespaceFromArgument')(Elem);
+    const instance = new wrapped(props, context);
+    expect(instance.namespaces.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(instance.namespaces[0]).toBe('namespaceFromArgument');
+  });
+  it('reads namespace from i18n default if neither argument nor context have a defaultNS', () => {
+    const context = {
+      i18n: {
+        options: {
+          defaultNS: 'i18nDefaultNS'
+        }
+      }
+    };
+    const props = { initialI18nStore: {}, initialLanguage: 'en' };
+    const Elem = React.createFactory('Elem');
+    const wrapped = translate()(Elem);
+    const instance = new wrapped(props, context);
+    expect(instance.namespaces.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(instance.namespaces[0]).toBe('i18nDefaultNS');
+  });
 });