diff --git a/modes/canvas/surface.js b/modes/canvas/surface.js
index 17bb5ac..0664c57 100644
--- a/modes/canvas/surface.js
+++ b/modes/canvas/surface.js
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ var previousHit = null, previousHitSurface = null;
 
 var CanvasSurface = Class(Element, Container, {
 
-	initialize: function(width, height){
-		var element = this.element = document.createElement('canvas');
+	initialize: function(width, height, existingElement){
+		var element = this.element = existingElement || document.createElement('canvas');
 		var context = this.context = element.getContext('2d');
 		this._valid = true;
 		if (width != null && height != null) this.resize(width, height);
@@ -137,4 +137,6 @@ var CanvasSurface = Class(Element, Container, {
 
 });
 
+CanvasSurface.tagName = 'canvas';
+
 module.exports = CanvasSurface;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modes/svg/surface.js b/modes/svg/surface.js
index 9f8897d..1f8fc81 100644
--- a/modes/svg/surface.js
+++ b/modes/svg/surface.js
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ var Container = require('../../dom/container');
 var Element = require('../../dom/native');
 var DOM = require('./dom');
 
-module.exports = Class(Element, Container, {
+var SVGSurface = Class(Element, Container, {
 
-	initialize: function SVGSurface(width, height){
-		var element = this.element = DOM.createElement('svg');
+	initialize: function SVGSurface(width, height, existingElement){
+		var element = this.element = existingElement || DOM.createElement('svg');
 		element.setAttribute('xmlns', DOM.NS);
 		element.setAttribute('version', 1.1);
 		var defs = this.defs = DOM.createElement('defs');
@@ -24,3 +24,7 @@ module.exports = Class(Element, Container, {
 	}
 
 });
+
+SVGSurface.tagName = 'svg';
+
+module.exports = SVGSurface;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modes/vml/surface.js b/modes/vml/surface.js
index f8828d8..5df4055 100644
--- a/modes/vml/surface.js
+++ b/modes/vml/surface.js
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ var DOM = require('./dom');
 
 var precision = 100;
 
-module.exports = Class(Element, Container, {
+var VMLSurface = Class(Element, Container, {
 	
-	initialize: function VMLSurface(width, height){
-		this.element = document.createElement('vml');
+	initialize: function VMLSurface(width, height, existingElement){
+		this.element = existingElement || document.createElement('vml');
 		this.containerElement = DOM.createElement('group');
 		this.element.appendChild(this.containerElement);
 		if (width != null && height != null) this.resize(width, height);
@@ -35,3 +35,7 @@ module.exports = Class(Element, Container, {
 	}
 	
 });
+
+VMLSurface.tagName = 'vml';
+
+module.exports = VMLSurface;
\ No newline at end of file