diff --git a/resources/recipes/sueddeutschezeitung.recipe b/resources/recipes/sueddeutschezeitung.recipe
index 260c5a012a..8b731e2c4f 100644
--- a/resources/recipes/sueddeutschezeitung.recipe
+++ b/resources/recipes/sueddeutschezeitung.recipe
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class SueddeutcheZeitung(BasicNewsRecipe):
     LOGIN                  = PREFIX + '/app/lbox/index.html'
     use_embedded_content   = False
     masthead_url           = 'http://pix.sueddeutsche.de/img/g_.gif'
-    language               = 'de_DE'
+    language               = 'de'
     extra_css              = ' body{font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif} '
 
     conversion_options = {
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py
index 29f8978cbc..b063d3ef52 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class OCFReader(OCF):
         self.opf_path = self.container[OPF.MIMETYPE]
         try:
             with closing(self.open(self.opf_path)) as f:
-                self.opf = OPF(f, self.root)
+                self.opf = OPF(f, self.root, populate_spine=False)
         except KeyError:
             raise EPubException("missing OPF package file")
 
@@ -101,10 +101,9 @@ class OCFDirReader(OCFReader):
 def get_cover(opf, opf_path, stream):
     from calibre.ebooks import render_html_svg_workaround
     from calibre.utils.logging import default_log
-    spine = list(opf.spine_items())
-    if not spine:
+    cpage = opf.first_spine_item()
+    if not cpage:
         return
-    cpage = spine[0]
     with TemporaryDirectory('_epub_meta') as tdir:
         with CurrentDir(tdir):
             stream.seek(0)
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py
index e1e0a15930..d2a0f3c2eb 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py
@@ -455,7 +455,8 @@ class OPF(object):
                                     formatter=parse_date)
 
 
-    def __init__(self, stream, basedir=os.getcwdu(), unquote_urls=True):
+    def __init__(self, stream, basedir=os.getcwdu(), unquote_urls=True,
+            populate_spine=True):
         if not hasattr(stream, 'read'):
             stream = open(stream, 'rb')
         raw = stream.read()
@@ -478,7 +479,7 @@ class OPF(object):
             self.manifest = Manifest.from_opf_manifest_element(m, basedir)
         self.spine = None
         s = self.spine_path(self.root)
-        if s:
+        if populate_spine and s:
             self.spine = Spine.from_opf_spine_element(s, self.manifest)
         self.guide = None
         guide = self.guide_path(self.root)
@@ -585,6 +586,15 @@ class OPF(object):
                 if x.get('id', None) == idref:
                     yield x.get('href', '')
 
+    def first_spine_item(self):
+        items = self.iterspine()
+        if not items:
+            return None
+        idref = items[0].get('idref', '')
+        for x in self.itermanifest():
+            if x.get('id', None) == idref:
+                return x.get('href', None)
+
     def create_spine_item(self, idref):
         ans = etree.Element('{%s}itemref'%self.NAMESPACES['opf'], idref=idref)
         ans.tail = '\n\t\t'