diff --git a/src/generators/Generator.ts b/src/generators/Generator.ts
index 1a1528d0c4..c33f440ebc 100644
--- a/src/generators/Generator.ts
+++ b/src/generators/Generator.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import annotateWithScopes from '../utils/annotateWithScopes';
 import clone from '../utils/clone';
 import DomBlock from './dom/Block';
 import SsrBlock from './server-side-rendering/Block';
+import extractSelectors from './extractSelectors';
 import { Node, Parsed, CompileOptions } from '../interfaces';
 
 const test = typeof global !== 'undefined' && global.__svelte_test;
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ export default class Generator {
 	cssId: string;
 	usesRefs: boolean;
 
+	selectors: any[]; // TODO how to indicate it takes `(Node[]) => boolean` functions?
+
 	importedNames: Set<string>;
 	aliases: Map<string, string>;
 	usedNames: Set<string>;
@@ -76,6 +79,8 @@ export default class Generator {
 		this.cssId = parsed.css ? `svelte-${parsed.hash}` : '';
 		this.usesRefs = false;
 
+		this.selectors = extractSelectors(parsed.css);
+
 		// allow compiler to deconflict user's `import { get } from 'whatever'` and
 		// Svelte's builtin `import { get, ... } from 'svelte/shared.ts'`;
 		this.importedNames = new Set();
@@ -211,6 +216,16 @@ export default class Generator {
 		};
 	}
 
+	cssAppliesTo(node: Node, stack: Node[]) {
+		for (let i = 0; i < this.selectors.length; i += 1) {
+			const selector = this.selectors[i];
+			if (selector.appliesTo(node, stack)) {
+				selector.used = true;
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	findDependencies(
 		contextDependencies: Map<string, string[]>,
 		indexes: Map<string, string>,
diff --git a/src/generators/dom/index.ts b/src/generators/dom/index.ts
index 8921c6cabe..65d697fa0b 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/index.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/index.ts
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export default function dom(
 	const { block, state } = preprocess(generator, namespace, parsed.html);
 
 	parsed.html.children.forEach((node: Node) => {
-		visit(generator, block, state, node);
+		visit(generator, block, state, node, []);
 	});
 
 	const builders = {
diff --git a/src/generators/dom/visit.ts b/src/generators/dom/visit.ts
index 91601fa8fd..82fc23c03b 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/visit.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/visit.ts
@@ -2,13 +2,15 @@ import visitors from './visitors/index';
 import { DomGenerator } from './index';
 import Block from './Block';
 import { Node } from '../../interfaces';
+import { State } from './interfaces';
 
 export default function visit(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
-	state,
-	node: Node
+	state: State,
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	const visitor = visitors[node.type];
-	visitor(generator, block, state, node);
+	visitor(generator, block, state, node, elementStack);
 }
diff --git a/src/generators/dom/visitors/Component/Component.ts b/src/generators/dom/visitors/Component/Component.ts
index 96fdd4e31e..d126f09dc2 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/visitors/Component/Component.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/visitors/Component/Component.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ export default function visitComponent(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
 	state: State,
-	node: Node
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	const hasChildren = node.children.length > 0;
 	const name = block.getUniqueName(
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ export default function visitComponent(
 		const childBlock = node._block;
 
 		node.children.forEach((child: Node) => {
-			visit(generator, childBlock, childState, child);
+			visit(generator, childBlock, childState, child, elementStack);
 		});
 
 		const yieldFragment = block.getUniqueName(`${name}_yield_fragment`);
diff --git a/src/generators/dom/visitors/EachBlock.ts b/src/generators/dom/visitors/EachBlock.ts
index 4be9059e52..dc98ad1f37 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/visitors/EachBlock.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/visitors/EachBlock.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ export default function visitEachBlock(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
 	state: State,
-	node: Node
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	const each_block = generator.getUniqueName(`each_block`);
 	const create_each_block = node._block.name;
@@ -118,12 +119,12 @@ export default function visitEachBlock(
 	}
 
 	node.children.forEach((child: Node) => {
-		visit(generator, node._block, node._state, child);
+		visit(generator, node._block, node._state, child, elementStack);
 	});
 
 	if (node.else) {
 		node.else.children.forEach((child: Node) => {
-			visit(generator, node.else._block, node.else._state, child);
+			visit(generator, node.else._block, node.else._state, child, elementStack);
 		});
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/Element.ts b/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/Element.ts
index 5e16abb3eb..bc2e811d3b 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/Element.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/visitors/Element/Element.ts
@@ -35,14 +35,15 @@ export default function visitElement(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
 	state: State,
-	node: Node
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	if (node.name in meta) {
 		return meta[node.name](generator, block, node);
 	}
 
 	if (generator.components.has(node.name) || node.name === ':Self') {
-		return visitComponent(generator, block, state, node);
+		return visitComponent(generator, block, state, node, elementStack);
 	}
 
 	const childState = node._state;
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ export default function visitElement(
 	}
 
 	// add CSS encapsulation attribute
-	if (generator.cssId && (!generator.cascade || state.isTopLevel)) {
+	if (generator.cssId && (generator.cascade ? state.isTopLevel : generator.cssAppliesTo(node, elementStack))) {
 		block.builders.hydrate.addLine(
 			`${generator.helper(
 				'setAttribute'
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ export default function visitElement(
 	}
 
 	node.children.forEach((child: Node) => {
-		visit(generator, block, childState, child);
+		visit(generator, block, childState, child, elementStack.concat(node));
 	});
 
 	if (node.lateUpdate) {
diff --git a/src/generators/dom/visitors/IfBlock.ts b/src/generators/dom/visitors/IfBlock.ts
index fc2c54ca97..deb625e808 100644
--- a/src/generators/dom/visitors/IfBlock.ts
+++ b/src/generators/dom/visitors/IfBlock.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ function getBranches(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
 	state: State,
-	node: Node
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	const branches = [
 		{
@@ -31,11 +32,11 @@ function getBranches(
 		},
 	];
 
-	visitChildren(generator, block, state, node);
+	visitChildren(generator, block, state, node, elementStack);
 
 	if (isElseIf(node.else)) {
 		branches.push(
-			...getBranches(generator, block, state, node.else.children[0])
+			...getBranches(generator, block, state, node.else.children[0], elementStack)
 		);
 	} else {
 		branches.push({
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ function getBranches(
 		});
 
 		if (node.else) {
-			visitChildren(generator, block, state, node.else);
+			visitChildren(generator, block, state, node.else, elementStack);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -58,10 +59,11 @@ function visitChildren(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
 	state: State,
-	node: Node
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	node.children.forEach((child: Node) => {
-		visit(generator, node._block, node._state, child);
+		visit(generator, node._block, node._state, child, elementStack);
 	});
 }
 
@@ -69,7 +71,8 @@ export default function visitIfBlock(
 	generator: DomGenerator,
 	block: Block,
 	state: State,
-	node: Node
+	node: Node,
+	elementStack: Node[]
 ) {
 	const name = generator.getUniqueName(`if_block`);
 	const anchor = node.needsAnchor
@@ -77,7 +80,7 @@ export default function visitIfBlock(
 		: (node.next && node.next._state.name) || 'null';
 	const params = block.params.join(', ');
 
-	const branches = getBranches(generator, block, state, node);
+	const branches = getBranches(generator, block, state, node, elementStack);
 
 	const hasElse = isElseBranch(branches[branches.length - 1]);
 	const if_name = hasElse ? '' : `if ( ${name} ) `;
diff --git a/src/generators/extractSelectors.ts b/src/generators/extractSelectors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bcb6bf031b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/generators/extractSelectors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { Node } from '../interfaces';
+
+export default function extractSelectors(css: Node) :Node[] {
+	if (!css) return [];
+
+	const selectors = [];
+
+	function processRule(rule: Node) {
+		if (rule.type !== 'Rule') {
+			// TODO @media etc
+			throw new Error(`not supported: ${rule.type}`);
+		}
+
+		const selectors = rule.selector.children;
+		selectors.forEach(processSelector);
+	}
+
+	function processSelector(selector: Node) {
+		selectors.push({
+			used: false,
+			appliesTo: (node: Node, stack: Node[]) => {
+				let i = selector.children.length;
+				let j = stack.length;
+
+				while (i--) {
+					if (!node) return false;
+
+					const part = selector.children[i];
+
+					if (part.type === 'ClassSelector') {
+						if (!classMatches(node, part.name)) return false;
+					}
+
+					else if (part.type === 'TypeSelector') {
+						if (node.name !== part.name) return false;
+					}
+
+					else if (part.type === 'WhiteSpace') {
+						node = stack[--j];
+					}
+
+					else {
+						throw new Error(`TODO ${part.type}`);
+					}
+				}
+
+				return true;
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	css.children.forEach(processRule);
+
+	return selectors;
+}
+
+function classMatches(node: Node, className: string) {
+	const attr = node.attributes.find((attr: Node) => attr.name === 'class');
+	if (!attr) return false;
+	if (attr.value.length > 1) return true;
+	if (attr.value[0].type !== 'Text') return true;
+
+	return attr.value[0].data.split(' ').indexOf(className) !== -1;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/_config.js b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b37866f9b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	cascade: false
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/expected.css b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/expected.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45b763d4de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/expected.css
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+	.foo[svelte-2643270928] {
+		color: red;
+	}
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/expected.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/expected.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a51f22d968
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/expected.html
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<p svelte-2643270928="" class="whatever">this is styled</p>
+<p class="bar">this is unstyled</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/input.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/input.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ef2a1796a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-dynamic/input.html
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<p class='{{unknown}}'>this is styled</p>
+<p class='bar'>this is unstyled</p>
+
+<style>
+	.foo {
+		color: red;
+	}
+</style>
+
+<script>
+	export default {
+		data () {
+			return {
+				unknown: 'whatever'
+			};
+		}
+	};
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/_config.js b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b37866f9b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	cascade: false
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/expected.css b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/expected.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bf4e3cb73c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/expected.css
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+	.foo[svelte-633959357] {
+		color: red;
+	}
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/expected.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/expected.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b972aa4cb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/expected.html
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<p svelte-633959357="" class="foo">this is styled</p>
+<p class="bar">this is unstyled</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/input.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/input.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6b877fa13e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-class-static/input.html
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<p class='foo'>this is styled</p>
+<p class='bar'>this is unstyled</p>
+
+<style>
+	.foo {
+		color: red;
+	}
+</style>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/_config.js b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b37866f9b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	cascade: false
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/expected.css b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/expected.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b596c30221
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/expected.css
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+	div[svelte-1941127328] p[svelte-1941127328] {
+		color: red;
+	}
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/expected.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/expected.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..650f7868f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/expected.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div svelte-1941127328=""><p svelte-1941127328="">this is styled</p></div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/input.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/input.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c9de601104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute-descendant.solo/input.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<div>
+	<p>this is styled</p>
+</div>
+
+<style>
+	div p {
+		color: red;
+	}
+</style>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/_config.js b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b37866f9b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	cascade: false
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/expected.css b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/expected.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f8adbd21a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/expected.css
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+	p[svelte-1997768937] {
+		color: red;
+	}
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/expected.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/expected.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..580168ced2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/expected.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div><p svelte-1997768937="">this is styled</p></div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/input.html b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/input.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69251dc236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/css/samples/omit-scoping-attribute/input.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<div>
+	<p>this is styled</p>
+</div>
+
+<style>
+	p {
+		color: red;
+	}
+</style>
\ No newline at end of file