diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py
index bffc24ac91..8e9c9efea9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py
@@ -268,7 +268,8 @@ class EPUBOutput(OutputFormatPlugin):
                 # remove <img> tags with empty src elements
                 bad = []
                 for x in XPath('//h:img')(body):
-                    if not x.get('src', '').strip():
+                    src = x.get('src', '').strip()
+                    if src in ('', '#'):
                         bad.append(x)
                 for img in bad:
                     img.getparent().remove(img)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
index b132e368ee..714b2c3a27 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ class Main(MainWindow, Ui_MainWindow, DeviceGUI):
             from calibre.ebooks.metadata import MetaInformation
             mi = MetaInformation(_('Calibre Quick Start Guide'), ['John Schember'])
             mi.author_sort = 'Schember, John'
-            mi.comments = "A guide to get you up an running with calibre"
+            mi.comments = "A guide to get you up and running with calibre"
             mi.publisher = 'calibre'
             self.library_view.model().add_books([P('quick_start.epub')], ['epub'],
                     [mi])