diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py
index 6c190759f7..4c9b08df96 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py
@@ -211,7 +211,6 @@ def main(args=sys.argv):
                         OptionRecommendation.HIGH) \
                                         for n in parser.options_iter()
                                         if n.dest]
-    print recommendations
     plumber.merge_ui_recommendations(recommendations)
 
     plumber.run()
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/output.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/output.py
index 2095b64ab2..edf047442a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/output.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdb/output.py
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 import os
 
-from calibre.customize.conversion import OutputFormatPlugin
-from calibre.ebooks.pdb import PDBError, get_writer
+from calibre.customize.conversion import OutputFormatPlugin, \
+    OptionRecommendation
+from calibre.ebooks.pdb import PDBError, get_writer, FORMAT_WRITERS
 
 class PDBOutput(OutputFormatPlugin):
 
@@ -15,20 +16,25 @@ class PDBOutput(OutputFormatPlugin):
     author = 'John Schember'
     file_type = 'pdb'
     
+    options = set([
+        OptionRecommendation(name='format', recommended_value='doc',
+            level=OptionRecommendation.LOW,
+            short_switch='f', choices=FORMAT_WRITERS.keys(),
+            help=_('Format to use inside the pdb container. Choices are: '
+            '%s' % FORMAT_WRITERS.keys())),
+    ])
+
     def convert(self, oeb_book, output_path, input_plugin, opts, log):
         close = False
         if not hasattr(output_path, 'write'):
-            # Determine the format to write based upon the sub extension
-            format = os.path.splitext(os.path.splitext(output_path)[0])[1][1:]
             close = True
             if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(output_path)) and os.path.dirname(output_path) != '':
                 os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(output_path))
             out_stream = open(output_path, 'wb')
         else:
-            format = os.path.splitext(os.path.splitext(output_path.name)[0])[1][1:]
             out_stream = output_path
             
-        Writer = get_writer(format)
+        Writer = get_writer(opts.format)
         
         if Writer is None:
             raise PDBError('No writer avaliable for format %s.' % format)