diff --git a/src/attributes/classes.js b/src/attributes/classes.js
index f9dba94f7..d0d1d989f 100644
--- a/src/attributes/classes.js
+++ b/src/attributes/classes.js
@@ -7,16 +7,20 @@ define([
 
 var rclass = /[\t\r\n\f]/g;
 
+function getClass( elem ) {
+	return elem.getAttribute && elem.getAttribute( "class" ) || "";
+}
+
 jQuery.fn.extend({
 	addClass: function( value ) {
-		var classes, elem, cur, clazz, j, finalValue,
+		var classes, elem, cur, curValue, clazz, j, finalValue,
 			proceed = typeof value === "string" && value,
 			i = 0,
 			len = this.length;
 
 		if ( jQuery.isFunction( value ) ) {
 			return this.each(function( j ) {
-				jQuery( this ).addClass( value.call( this, j, this.className ) );
+				jQuery( this ).addClass( value.call( this, j, getClass( this ) ) );
 			});
 		}
 
@@ -26,10 +30,9 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 
 			for ( ; i < len; i++ ) {
 				elem = this[ i ];
-				cur = elem.nodeType === 1 && ( elem.className ?
-					( " " + elem.className + " " ).replace( rclass, " " ) :
-					" "
-				);
+				curValue = getClass( elem );
+				cur = elem.nodeType === 1 &&
+					( " " + curValue + " " ).replace( rclass, " " );
 
 				if ( cur ) {
 					j = 0;
@@ -41,8 +44,8 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 
 					// only assign if different to avoid unneeded rendering.
 					finalValue = jQuery.trim( cur );
-					if ( elem.className !== finalValue ) {
-						elem.className = finalValue;
+					if ( curValue !== finalValue ) {
+						elem.setAttribute( "class", finalValue );
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -52,14 +55,14 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 	},
 
 	removeClass: function( value ) {
-		var classes, elem, cur, clazz, j, finalValue,
+		var classes, elem, cur, curValue, clazz, j, finalValue,
 			proceed = arguments.length === 0 || typeof value === "string" && value,
 			i = 0,
 			len = this.length;
 
 		if ( jQuery.isFunction( value ) ) {
 			return this.each(function( j ) {
-				jQuery( this ).removeClass( value.call( this, j, this.className ) );
+				jQuery( this ).removeClass( value.call( this, j, getClass( this ) ) );
 			});
 		}
 		if ( proceed ) {
@@ -67,11 +70,11 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 
 			for ( ; i < len; i++ ) {
 				elem = this[ i ];
+				curValue = getClass( elem );
+
 				// This expression is here for better compressibility (see addClass)
-				cur = elem.nodeType === 1 && ( elem.className ?
-					( " " + elem.className + " " ).replace( rclass, " " ) :
-					""
-				);
+				cur = elem.nodeType === 1 &&
+					( " " + curValue + " " ).replace( rclass, " " );
 
 				if ( cur ) {
 					j = 0;
@@ -84,8 +87,8 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 
 					// Only assign if different to avoid unneeded rendering.
 					finalValue = value ? jQuery.trim( cur ) : "";
-					if ( elem.className !== finalValue ) {
-						elem.className = finalValue;
+					if ( curValue !== finalValue ) {
+						elem.setAttribute( "class", finalValue );
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -104,20 +107,24 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 		if ( jQuery.isFunction( value ) ) {
 			return this.each(function( i ) {
 				jQuery( this ).toggleClass(
-					value.call(this, i, this.className, stateVal), stateVal
+					value.call( this, i, getClass( this ), stateVal ),
+					stateVal
 				);
 			});
 		}
 
 		return this.each(function() {
-			if ( type === "string" ) {
-				// Toggle individual class names
-				var className,
-					i = 0,
-					self = jQuery( this ),
-					classNames = value.match( rnotwhite ) || [];
+			var className, i, self, classNames;
+
+			if ( type === "string" ) {
+
+				// Toggle individual class names
+				i = 0;
+				self = jQuery( this );
+				classNames = value.match( rnotwhite ) || [];
+
+				while ( ( className = classNames[ i++ ] ) ) {
 
-				while ( (className = classNames[ i++ ]) ) {
 					// Check each className given, space separated list
 					if ( self.hasClass( className ) ) {
 						self.removeClass( className );
@@ -128,18 +135,24 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 
 			// Toggle whole class name
 			} else if ( value === undefined || type === "boolean" ) {
-				if ( this.className ) {
+				className = getClass( this );
+				if ( className ) {
+
 					// store className if set
-					dataPriv.set( this, "__className__", this.className );
+					dataPriv.set( this, "__className__", className );
 				}
 
 				// If the element has a class name or if we're passed `false`,
 				// then remove the whole classname (if there was one, the above saved it).
 				// Otherwise bring back whatever was previously saved (if anything),
 				// falling back to the empty string if nothing was stored.
-				this.className = this.className || value === false ?
-					"" :
-					dataPriv.get( this, "__className__" ) || "";
+				if ( this.setAttribute ) {
+					this.setAttribute( "class",
+						className || value === false ?
+						"" :
+						dataPriv.get( this, "__className__" ) || ""
+					);
+				}
 			}
 		});
 	},
@@ -150,8 +163,9 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 			l = this.length;
 		for ( ; i < l; i++ ) {
 			if ( this[i].nodeType === 1 &&
-				(" " + this[i].className + " ").replace(rclass, " ").indexOf( className ) > -1 ) {
-
+				( " " + getClass( this[i] ) + " " ).replace( rclass, " " )
+					.indexOf( className ) > -1
+			) {
 				return true;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/test/unit/attributes.js b/test/unit/attributes.js
index c1f773718..526cfc99d 100644
--- a/test/unit/attributes.js
+++ b/test/unit/attributes.js
@@ -1478,3 +1478,31 @@ test( "Insignificant white space returned for $(option).val() (#14858)", functio
 	val = jQuery( "<option>  test  </option>" ).val();
 	equal( val.length, 4, "insignificant white-space returned for value" );
 });
+
+test( "SVG class manipulation (gh-2199)", function() {
+	expect( 12 );
+
+	function createSVGElement( nodeName ) {
+		return document.createElementNS( "http://www.w3.org/2000/svg", nodeName );
+	}
+
+	jQuery.each([
+		"svg",
+		"rect",
+		"g"
+	], function() {
+		var elem = jQuery( createSVGElement( this ) );
+
+		elem.addClass( "awesome" );
+		ok( elem.hasClass( "awesome" ), "SVG element (" + this + ") has added class" );
+
+		elem.removeClass( "awesome" );
+		ok( !elem.hasClass( "awesome" ), "SVG element (" + this + ") removes the class" );
+
+		elem.toggleClass( "awesome" );
+		ok( elem.hasClass( "awesome" ), "SVG element (" + this + ") toggles the class on" );
+
+		elem.toggleClass( "awesome" );
+		ok( !elem.hasClass( "awesome" ), "SVG element (" + this + ") toggles the class off" );
+	});
+});