diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
index 6f1f111e2a..bbaf87cfb1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import time
 import traceback
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
-from PyQt4.QtCore import SIGNAL, QObject, QCoreApplication, Qt, QTimer, QThread, QDate
-from PyQt4.QtGui import QPixmap, QListWidgetItem, QErrorMessage, QDialog
+from PyQt4.Qt import SIGNAL, QObject, QCoreApplication, Qt, QTimer, QThread, QDate, \
+    QPixmap, QListWidgetItem, QDialog, QListWidget
 
 from calibre.gui2 import qstring_to_unicode, error_dialog, file_icon_provider, \
                            choose_files, choose_images, ResizableDialog
@@ -80,6 +80,37 @@ class Format(QListWidgetItem):
         QListWidgetItem.__init__(self, file_icon_provider().icon_from_ext(ext),
                                  text, parent, QListWidgetItem.UserType)
 
+class FormatList(QListWidget):
+    DROPABBLE_EXTENSIONS = BOOK_EXTENSIONS
+
+    @classmethod
+    def paths_from_event(cls, event):
+        '''
+        Accept a drop event and return a list of paths that can be read from
+        and represent files with extensions.
+        '''
+        if event.mimeData().hasFormat('text/uri-list'):
+            urls = [unicode(u.toLocalFile()) for u in event.mimeData().urls()]
+            urls = [u for u in urls if os.path.splitext(u)[1] and os.access(u, os.R_OK)]
+            return [u for u in urls if os.path.splitext(u)[1][1:].lower() in cls.DROPABBLE_EXTENSIONS]
+
+    def dragEnterEvent(self, event):
+        if int(event.possibleActions() & Qt.CopyAction) + \
+           int(event.possibleActions() & Qt.MoveAction) == 0:
+            return
+        paths = self.paths_from_event(event)
+        if paths:
+            event.acceptProposedAction()
+
+    def dropEvent(self, event):
+        paths = self.paths_from_event(event)
+        event.setDropAction(Qt.CopyAction)
+        self.emit(SIGNAL('formats_dropped(PyQt_PyObject,PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                event, paths)
+
+    def dragMoveEvent(self, event):
+        event.acceptProposedAction()
+
 class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
 
     COVER_FETCH_TIMEOUT = 240 # seconds
@@ -129,16 +160,21 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
 
     def add_format(self, x):
         files = choose_files(self, 'add formats dialog',
-                             "Choose formats for " + qstring_to_unicode((self.title.text())),
-                             [('Books', BOOK_EXTENSIONS)])
-        if not files:
-            return
-        for _file in files:
+                             _("Choose formats for ") + unicode((self.title.text())),
+                             [(_('Books'), BOOK_EXTENSIONS)])
+        self._add_formats(files)
+
+    def _add_formats(self, paths):
+        added = False
+        if not paths:
+            return added
+        bad_perms = []
+        for _file in paths:
             _file = os.path.abspath(_file)
             if not os.access(_file, os.R_OK):
-                QErrorMessage(self.window).showMessage("You do not have "+\
-                                    "permission to read the file: " + _file)
+                bad_perms.append(_file)
                 continue
+
             _file = run_plugins_on_import(_file)
             size = os.stat(_file).st_size
             ext = os.path.splitext(_file)[1].lower().replace('.', '')
@@ -149,6 +185,17 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
                     break
             Format(self.formats, ext, size, path=_file)
             self.formats_changed = True
+            added = True
+        if bad_perms:
+            error_dialog(self.window, _('You do not have '
+                'permission to read the following files:'),
+                det_msg='\n'.join(bad_perms), show=True)
+
+        return added
+
+    def formats_dropped(self, event, paths):
+        if self._add_formats(paths):
+            event.accept()
 
     def remove_format(self, x):
         rows = self.formats.selectionModel().selectedRows(0)
@@ -276,6 +323,7 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
         self.row = row
         self.cover_data = None
         self.formats_changed = False
+        self.formats.setAcceptDrops(True)
         self.cover_changed = False
         self.cpixmap = None
         self.cover.setAcceptDrops(True)
@@ -287,6 +335,9 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
                                                     self.select_cover)
         QObject.connect(self.add_format_button, SIGNAL("clicked(bool)"), \
                                                     self.add_format)
+        self.connect(self.formats,
+                SIGNAL('formats_dropped(PyQt_PyObject,PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                self.formats_dropped)
         QObject.connect(self.remove_format_button, SIGNAL("clicked(bool)"), \
                                                 self.remove_format)
         QObject.connect(self.fetch_metadata_button, SIGNAL('clicked()'),
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
index 78a4815fd9..e14a8ce4f4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@
                  <item>
                   <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
                    <item row="0" column="1" rowspan="3">
-                    <widget class="QListWidget" name="formats">
+                    <widget class="FormatList" name="formats">
                      <property name="sizePolicy">
                       <sizepolicy hsizetype="Minimum" vsizetype="Minimum">
                        <horstretch>0</horstretch>
@@ -452,6 +452,9 @@
                        <height>130</height>
                       </size>
                      </property>
+                     <property name="dragDropMode">
+                      <enum>QAbstractItemView::DropOnly</enum>
+                     </property>
                      <property name="iconSize">
                       <size>
                        <width>64</width>
@@ -703,6 +706,11 @@
    <extends>QLineEdit</extends>
    <header>widgets.h</header>
   </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>FormatList</class>
+   <extends>QListWidget</extends>
+   <header location="global">calibre/gui2/widgets.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
  </customwidgets>
  <tabstops>
   <tabstop>title</tabstop>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/widgets.py
index e1c9aaf9c3..190ff920ef 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/widgets.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.dialogs.job_view_ui import Ui_Dialog
 from calibre.gui2.filename_pattern_ui import Ui_Form
 from calibre import fit_image
 from calibre.utils.fonts import fontconfig
+from calibre.ebooks import BOOK_EXTENSIONS
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import metadata_from_filename
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs
 
@@ -107,6 +108,37 @@ class FilenamePattern(QWidget, Ui_Form):
 
 IMAGE_EXTENSIONS = ['jpg', 'jpeg', 'gif', 'png', 'bmp']
 
+class FormatList(QListWidget):
+    DROPABBLE_EXTENSIONS = BOOK_EXTENSIONS
+
+    @classmethod
+    def paths_from_event(cls, event):
+        '''
+        Accept a drop event and return a list of paths that can be read from
+        and represent files with extensions.
+        '''
+        if event.mimeData().hasFormat('text/uri-list'):
+            urls = [unicode(u.toLocalFile()) for u in event.mimeData().urls()]
+            urls = [u for u in urls if os.path.splitext(u)[1] and os.access(u, os.R_OK)]
+            return [u for u in urls if os.path.splitext(u)[1][1:].lower() in cls.DROPABBLE_EXTENSIONS]
+
+    def dragEnterEvent(self, event):
+        if int(event.possibleActions() & Qt.CopyAction) + \
+           int(event.possibleActions() & Qt.MoveAction) == 0:
+            return
+        paths = self.paths_from_event(event)
+        if paths:
+            event.acceptProposedAction()
+
+    def dropEvent(self, event):
+        paths = self.paths_from_event(event)
+        event.setDropAction(Qt.CopyAction)
+        self.emit(SIGNAL('formats_dropped(PyQt_PyObject,PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                event, paths)
+
+    def dragMoveEvent(self, event):
+        event.acceptProposedAction()
+
 class ImageView(QLabel):
 
     MAX_WIDTH  = 400