diff --git a/geopandas/geodataframe.py b/geopandas/geodataframe.py
index 3f0817d..26b0323 100644
--- a/geopandas/geodataframe.py
+++ b/geopandas/geodataframe.py
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ class GeoDataFrame(GeoPandasBase, DataFrame):
         g = self.groupby(by=by, group_keys=False)[self.geometry.name].agg(merge_geometries)
 
         # Aggregate
-        aggregated_geometry = GeoDataFrame(g, geometry=self.geometry.name)
+        aggregated_geometry = GeoDataFrame(g, geometry=self.geometry.name, crs=self.crs)
         # Recombine
         aggregated = aggregated_geometry.join(aggregated_data)
 
diff --git a/geopandas/tests/test_dissolve.py b/geopandas/tests/test_dissolve.py
index 45cc877..f013be3 100644
--- a/geopandas/tests/test_dissolve.py
+++ b/geopandas/tests/test_dissolve.py
@@ -51,6 +51,18 @@ class TestDataFrame(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(test.geometry.name == 'myshapes')
         self.assertTrue(test.geom_almost_equals(self.first).all())
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(str(pd.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.16'), pandas_0_15_problem)
+    def test_dissolve_retains_existing_crs(self):
+        assert self.polydf.crs is not None
+        test = self.polydf.dissolve('manhattan_bronx')
+        assert test.crs is not None
+
+    @unittest.skipIf(str(pd.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.16'), pandas_0_15_problem)
+    def test_dissolve_retains_nonexisting_crs(self):
+        self.polydf.crs = None
+        test = self.polydf.dissolve('manhattan_bronx')
+        assert test.crs is None
+
     @unittest.skipIf(str(pd.__version__) < LooseVersion('0.16'), pandas_0_15_problem)
     def test_first_dissolve(self):
         test = self.polydf.dissolve('manhattan_bronx')