diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
index d12dcf5cd3..a446824183 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks import BOOK_EXTENSIONS
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import authors_to_sort_string, string_to_authors, authors_to_string
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.library_thing import login, cover_from_isbn, LibraryThingError
 from calibre import islinux
+from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import get_metadata
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs
 from calibre.customize.ui import run_plugins_on_import
 
@@ -102,6 +103,39 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
             self.formats.takeItem(row.row())
             self.formats_changed = True
     
+    def set_cover(self):
+        row = self.formats.currentRow()
+        fmt = self.formats.item(row)
+        ext = fmt.ext.lower()
+        if fmt.path is None:
+            stream = self.db.format(self.row, ext, as_file=True)
+        else:
+            stream = open(fmt.path, 'r+b')
+        try:
+            mi = get_metadata(stream, ext)
+        except:
+            error_dialog(self, _('Could not read metadata'), 
+                         _('Could not read metadata from %s format')%ext).exec_()
+            return
+        cdata = None
+        if mi.cover and os.access(mi.cover, os.R_OK):
+            cdata = open(mi.cover).read()
+        elif mi.cover_data[1] is not None:
+            cdata = mi.cover_data[1]
+        if cdata is None:
+            error_dialog(self, _('Could not read cover'), 
+                         _('Could not read cover from %s format')%ext).exec_()
+            return
+        pix = QPixmap()
+        pix.loadFromData(cdata)
+        if pix.isNull():
+            error_dialog(self, _('Could not read cover'), 
+                         _('The cover in the %s format is invalid')%ext).exec_()
+            return
+        self.cover.setPixmap(pix)
+        self.cover_changed = True
+        self.cpixmap = pix
+    
     def sync_formats(self):
         old_extensions, new_extensions, paths = set(), set(), {}
         for row in range(self.formats.count()):
@@ -155,6 +189,7 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
                         self.remove_unused_series)
         QObject.connect(self.auto_author_sort, SIGNAL('clicked()'),
                         self.deduce_author_sort)
+        self.connect(self.button_set_cover, SIGNAL('clicked()'), self.set_cover)
         self.connect(self.reset_cover, SIGNAL('clicked()'), self.do_reset_cover)
         self.connect(self.swap_button, SIGNAL('clicked()'), self.swap_title_author)
         self.timeout = float(prefs['network_timeout'])
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
index b86e47af24..5a1f47b233 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@
          <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout" >
           <item>
            <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout" >
-            <item rowspan="2" row="0" column="0" >
+            <item rowspan="3" row="0" column="0" >
              <widget class="QListWidget" name="formats" >
               <property name="sizePolicy" >
                <sizepolicy vsizetype="Minimum" hsizetype="Minimum" >
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@
               </property>
              </widget>
             </item>
-            <item row="1" column="1" >
+            <item row="2" column="1" >
              <widget class="QToolButton" name="remove_format_button" >
               <property name="toolTip" >
                <string>Remove the selected formats for this book from the database.</string>
@@ -432,6 +432,26 @@
               </property>
              </widget>
             </item>
+            <item row="1" column="1" >
+             <widget class="QToolButton" name="button_set_cover" >
+              <property name="toolTip" >
+               <string>Set the cover for the book from the selected format</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="text" >
+               <string>...</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="icon" >
+               <iconset resource="../images.qrc" >
+                <normaloff>:/images/book.svg</normaloff>:/images/book.svg</iconset>
+              </property>
+              <property name="iconSize" >
+               <size>
+                <width>32</width>
+                <height>32</height>
+               </size>
+              </property>
+             </widget>
+            </item>
            </layout>
           </item>
          </layout>