diff --git a/src/calibre/constants.py b/src/calibre/constants.py
index d43d11beec..d562a61cf5 100644
--- a/src/calibre/constants.py
+++ b/src/calibre/constants.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ isfrozen  = hasattr(sys, 'frozen')
 isunix = isosx or islinux
 isportable = os.environ.get('CALIBRE_PORTABLE_BUILD', None) is not None
 ispy3 = sys.version_info.major > 2
+isxp = iswindows and sys.getwindowsversion().major < 6
 
 try:
     preferred_encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py
index 0d67ba098f..75284930b7 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import zipfile
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QFont, QVariant, QDialog
 
-from calibre.constants import iswindows
+from calibre.constants import iswindows, isxp
 from calibre.utils.config import Config, StringConfig
 from calibre.gui2.shortcuts import ShortcutConfig
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.config_ui import Ui_Dialog
@@ -113,7 +113,10 @@ class ConfigDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         p = self.tabs.widget(1)
         p.layout().addWidget(self.shortcut_config)
         self.opt_fit_images.setChecked(opts.fit_images)
-
+        if isxp:
+            self.hyphenate.setVisible(False)
+            self.hyphenate_default_lang.setVisible(False)
+            self.hyphenate_label.setVisible(False)
 
     def accept(self, *args):
         if self.shortcut_config.is_editing:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui
index 76532a8cfc..48b77e0b34 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@
           </widget>
          </item>
          <item row="6" column="0">
-          <widget class="QLabel" name="label_8">
+          <widget class="QLabel" name="hyphenate_label">
            <property name="text">
             <string>Default &amp;language for hyphenation:</string>
            </property>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
index 8d1016d1dc..602f024de3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.viewer.position import PagePosition
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.config import config, ConfigDialog
 from calibre.ebooks.oeb.display.webview import load_html
 from calibre.utils.config import tweaks
+from calibre.constants import isxp
 # }}}
 
 def load_builtin_fonts():
@@ -163,7 +164,8 @@ class Document(QWebPage): # {{{
 
     @pyqtSignature("")
     def init_hyphenate(self):
-        if self.hyphenate and getattr(self, 'loaded_lang', ''):
+        # Qt fails to render soft hyphens correctly on windows xp
+        if not isxp and self.hyphenate and getattr(self, 'loaded_lang', ''):
             self.javascript('do_hyphenation("%s")'%self.loaded_lang)
 
     def _pass_json_value_getter(self):