diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py b/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py
index c3a059493e..9cd41ce557 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py
@@ -213,20 +213,17 @@ class KINDLE(USBMS):
         divTag['class'] = 'user_annotations'
 
         # Add the last-read location
-        spanTag = ka_soup.new_tag('span')
-        spanTag['style'] = 'font-weight:bold'
         if bookmark.book_format == 'pdf':
-            spanTag.insert(0,BeautifulSoup(
-                _("%(time)s<br />Last page read: %(loc)d (%(pr)d%%)") % dict(
+            markup = _("%(time)s<br />Last page read: %(loc)d (%(pr)d%%)") % dict(
                     time=strftime(u'%x', timestamp.timetuple()),
                     loc=last_read_location,
-                    pr=percent_read)))
+                    pr=percent_read)
         else:
-            spanTag.insert(0,BeautifulSoup(
-                _("%(time)s<br />Last page read: Location %(loc)d (%(pr)d%%)") % dict(
+            markup = _("%(time)s<br />Last page read: Location %(loc)d (%(pr)d%%)") % dict(
                     time=strftime(u'%x', timestamp.timetuple()),
                     loc=last_read_location,
-                    pr=percent_read)))
+                    pr=percent_read)
+        spanTag = BeautifulSoup('<span style="font-weight:bold">' + markup + '</span>').find('span')
 
         divTag.insert(dtc, spanTag)
         dtc += 1
@@ -261,7 +258,8 @@ class KINDLE(USBMS):
                                     typ=user_notes[location]['type']))
 
             for annotation in annotations:
-                divTag.insert(dtc, BeautifulSoup(annotation))
+                annot = BeautifulSoup('<span>' + annotations + '</span>').find('span')
+                divTag.insert(dtc, annot)
                 dtc += 1
 
         ka_soup.insert(0,divTag)
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/kobo/driver.py b/src/calibre/devices/kobo/driver.py
index 9b07496cbb..a051d2951e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/kobo/driver.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/kobo/driver.py
@@ -1222,20 +1222,17 @@ class KOBO(USBMS):
         divTag['class'] = 'user_annotations'
 
         # Add the last-read location
-        spanTag = ka_soup.new_tag('span')
-        spanTag['style'] = 'font-weight:normal'
         if bookmark.book_format == 'epub':
-            spanTag.insert(0,BeautifulSoup(
-                _("<hr /><b>Book last read:</b> %(time)s<br /><b>Percentage read:</b> %(pr)d%%<hr />") % dict(
+            markup = _("<hr /><b>Book last read:</b> %(time)s<br /><b>Percentage read:</b> %(pr)d%%<hr />") % dict(
                     time=last_read,
                     # loc=last_read_location,
-                    pr=percent_read)))
+                    pr=percent_read)
         else:
-            spanTag.insert(0,BeautifulSoup(
-                _("<hr /><b>Book last read:</b> %(time)s<br /><b>Percentage read:</b> %(pr)d%%<hr />") % dict(
+            markup = _("<hr /><b>Book last read:</b> %(time)s<br /><b>Percentage read:</b> %(pr)d%%<hr />") % dict(
                     time=last_read,
                     # loc=last_read_location,
-                    pr=percent_read)))
+                    pr=percent_read)
+        spanTag = BeautifulSoup('<span style="font-weight:normal">' + markup + '</span>').find('span')
 
         divTag.insert(dtc, spanTag)
         dtc += 1
@@ -1294,7 +1291,8 @@ class KOBO(USBMS):
                               annotation=user_notes[location]['annotation']))
 
             for annotation in annotations:
-                divTag.insert(dtc, BeautifulSoup(annotation))
+                annot = BeautifulSoup('<span>' + annotations + '</span>').find('span')
+                divTag.insert(dtc, annot)
                 dtc += 1
 
         ka_soup.insert(0,divTag)