diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/odt/input.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/odt/input.py
index cda01cae60..b66f766e6d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/odt/input.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/odt/input.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class Extract(ODF2XHTML):
         if not os.path.exists('Pictures'):
             os.makedirs('Pictures')
         for name in zf.namelist():
-            if name.startswith('Pictures'):
+            if name.startswith('Pictures') and name not in {'Pictures', 'Pictures/'}:
                 data = zf.read(name)
                 with open(name, 'wb') as f:
                     f.write(data)
diff --git a/src/odf/odfmanifest.py b/src/odf/odfmanifest.py
index 07754fd2f3..a8f1655e88 100644
--- a/src/odf/odfmanifest.py
+++ b/src/odf/odfmanifest.py
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 # Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Søren Roug, European Environment Agency
-# 
+#
 # This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 # modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
 # License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
 # version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
-# 
+#
 # This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
 # Lesser General Public License for more details.
-# 
+#
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
 # License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ def manifestlist(manifestxml):
 
     inpsrc = InputSource()
     inpsrc.setByteStream(StringIO(manifestxml))
+    parser.setFeature(handler.feature_external_ges, False)  # Changed by Kovid to ignore external DTDs
     parser.parse(inpsrc)
 
     return odhandler.manifest
diff --git a/src/odf/opendocument.py b/src/odf/opendocument.py
index 0b59b271a4..8890c2a21d 100644
--- a/src/odf/opendocument.py
+++ b/src/odf/opendocument.py
@@ -598,6 +598,7 @@ def __loadxmlparts(z, manifest, doc, objectpath):
 
             inpsrc = InputSource()
             inpsrc.setByteStream(StringIO(xmlpart))
+            parser.setFeature(handler.feature_external_ges, False)  # Changed by Kovid to ignore external DTDs
             parser.parse(inpsrc)
             del doc._parsing
         except KeyError, v: pass