diff --git a/src/pixie.nim b/src/pixie.nim
index d6eb77e..6fc8608 100644
--- a/src/pixie.nim
+++ b/src/pixie.nim
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ proc decodeImage*(data: string): Image {.raises: [PixieError].} =
     decodeBmp(data)
   elif data.len > 5 and
     (data.readStr(0, 5) == xmlSignature or data.readStr(0, 4) == svgSignature):
-    decodeSvg(data)
+    newImage(parseSvg(data))
   elif data.len > 6 and data.readStr(0, 6) in gifSignatures:
     decodeGif(data)
   elif data.len > (14+8) and data.readStr(0, 4) == qoiSignature:
diff --git a/src/pixie/fileformats/svg.nim b/src/pixie/fileformats/svg.nim
index 5bb9cdf..168ad1f 100644
--- a/src/pixie/fileformats/svg.nim
+++ b/src/pixie/fileformats/svg.nim
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const
 
 type
   Svg* = ref object
+    width*, height*: int
     elements: seq[(Path, SvgProperties)]
     linearGradients: Table[string, LinearGradient]
 
@@ -498,10 +499,10 @@ proc parseSvgElement(
   else:
     raise newException(PixieError, "Unsupported SVG tag: " & node.tag)
 
-proc decodeSvg*(
+proc parseSvg*(
   data: string | XmlNode, width = 0, height = 0
-): Image {.raises: [PixieError].} =
-  ## Render SVG XML and return the image. Defaults to the SVG's view box size.
+): Svg {.raises: [PixieError].} =
+  ## Parse SVG XML. Defaults to the SVG's view box size.
   try:
     let root = parseXml(data)
     if root.tag != "svg":
@@ -518,26 +519,38 @@ proc decodeSvg*(
     var rootProps = initSvgProperties()
     rootProps = root.parseSvgProperties(rootProps)
 
+
     if viewBoxMinX != 0 or viewBoxMinY != 0:
       let viewBoxMin = vec2(-viewBoxMinX.float32, -viewBoxMinY.float32)
       rootprops.transform = rootprops.transform * translate(viewBoxMin)
 
+    result = Svg()
+
     if width == 0 and height == 0: # Default to the view box size
-      result = newImage(viewBoxWidth, viewBoxHeight)
+      result.width = viewBoxWidth
+      result.height = viewBoxHeight
     else:
-      result = newImage(width, height)
+      result.width = width
+      result.height = height
 
       let
         scaleX = width.float32 / viewBoxWidth.float32
         scaleY = height.float32 / viewBoxHeight.float32
       rootprops.transform = rootprops.transform * scale(vec2(scaleX, scaleY))
 
-    let svg = Svg()
-
     var propertiesStack = @[rootProps]
     for node in root.items:
-      svg.elements.add node.parseSvgElement(svg, propertiesStack)
+      result.elements.add node.parseSvgElement(result, propertiesStack)
+  except PixieError as e:
+    raise e
+  except:
+    raise currentExceptionAsPixieError()
 
+proc newImage*(svg: Svg): Image {.raises: [PixieError].} =
+  ## Render SVG and return the image.
+  result = newImage(svg.width, svg.height)
+
+  try:
     for (path, props) in svg.elements:
       if props.display and props.opacity > 0:
         if props.fill != "none":
@@ -580,4 +593,4 @@ proc decodeSvg*(
   except PixieError as e:
     raise e
   except:
-    raise newException(PixieError, "Unable to load SVG")
+    raise currentExceptionAsPixieError()
diff --git a/tests/benchmark_svg.nim b/tests/benchmark_svg.nim
index c158d6d..cde9a8a 100644
--- a/tests/benchmark_svg.nim
+++ b/tests/benchmark_svg.nim
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ import benchy, pixie/fileformats/svg
 
 let data = readFile("tests/fileformats/svg/Ghostscript_Tiger.svg")
 
-timeIt "svg decode":
-  discard decodeSvg(data)
+timeIt "svg parse + render":
+  discard newImage(parseSvg(data))
diff --git a/tests/megatest_emoji.nim b/tests/megatest_emoji.nim
index 1e8d69d..7b594de 100644
--- a/tests/megatest_emoji.nim
+++ b/tests/megatest_emoji.nim
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ proc renderEmojiSet(index: int) =
     let (_, name, _) = splitFile(filePath)
     var image: Image
     try:
-      image = decodeSvg(readFile(filePath), width, height)
+      image = newImage(parseSvg(readFile(filePath), width, height))
     except PixieError:
       echo &"Failed decoding {name}"
       image = newImage(width, height)
diff --git a/tests/megatest_icons.nim b/tests/megatest_icons.nim
index 185a6ec..bd8b838 100644
--- a/tests/megatest_icons.nim
+++ b/tests/megatest_icons.nim
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ proc renderIconSet(index: int) =
   for filePath in walkFiles(iconSet.path):
     let
       (_, name, _) = splitFile(filePath)
-      image = decodeSvg(readFile(filePath), width, height)
+      image = newImage(parseSvg(readFile(filePath), width, height))
 
     images.add((name, image))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_svg.nim b/tests/test_svg.nim
index c9f6d43..e31e449 100644
--- a/tests/test_svg.nim
+++ b/tests/test_svg.nim
@@ -26,9 +26,8 @@ proc doDiff(rendered: Image, name: string) =
   diffImage.writeFile(&"tests/fileformats/svg/diffs/{name}.png")
 
 for file in files:
-  doDiff(decodeSvg(readFile(&"tests/fileformats/svg/{file}.svg")), file)
+  doDiff(readImage(&"tests/fileformats/svg/{file}.svg"), file)
 
-doDiff(
-  decodeSvg(readFile("tests/fileformats/svg/accessibility-outline.svg"), 512, 512),
-  "accessibility-outline"
-)
+block:
+  let svg = parseSvg(readFile("tests/fileformats/svg/accessibility-outline.svg"), 512, 512)
+  doDiff(newImage(svg), "accessibility-outline")