diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/fb2/fb2ml.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/fb2/fb2ml.py
index 30791c8ed3..2a408c3f94 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/fb2/fb2ml.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/fb2/fb2ml.py
@@ -73,8 +73,9 @@ class FB2MLizer(object):
         return '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\n' + output
 
     def clean_text(self, text):
-        # Remove empty tags.
-        text = re.sub(r'(?miu)<(strong|emphasis|strikethrough|sub|sup)>\s*</\1>', '', text)
+        # Remove pointless tags, but keep their contents.
+        text = re.sub(r'(?miu)<(strong|emphasis|strikethrough|sub|sup)>(\s*)</\1>', r'\2', text)
+
         # Condense empty paragraphs into a line break.
         text = re.sub(r'(?miu)(<p>\s*</p>\s*){3,}', '<empty-line/>', text)
         # Remove empty paragraphs.