diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/html/input.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/html/input.py
index 079e990de3..b22f7d2791 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/html/input.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/html/input.py
@@ -309,9 +309,9 @@ class HTMLInput(InputFormatPlugin):
 
     def create_oebbook(self, htmlpath, basedir, opts, log, mi):
         from calibre.ebooks.conversion.plumber import create_oebbook
-        from calibre.ebooks.oeb.base import DirContainer, \
-            rewrite_links, urlnormalize, urldefrag, BINARY_MIME, OEB_STYLES, \
-            xpath
+        from calibre.ebooks.oeb.base import (DirContainer,
+            rewrite_links, urlnormalize, urldefrag, BINARY_MIME, OEB_STYLES,
+            xpath)
         from calibre import guess_type
         from calibre.ebooks.oeb.transforms.metadata import \
             meta_info_to_oeb_metadata
@@ -345,7 +345,8 @@ class HTMLInput(InputFormatPlugin):
         htmlfile_map = {}
         for f in filelist:
             path = f.path
-            oeb.container = DirContainer(os.path.dirname(path), log)
+            oeb.container = DirContainer(os.path.dirname(path), log,
+                    ignore_opf=True)
             bname = os.path.basename(path)
             id, href = oeb.manifest.generate(id='html',
                     href=ascii_filename(bname))
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ class HTMLInput(InputFormatPlugin):
         for f in filelist:
             path = f.path
             dpath = os.path.dirname(path)
-            oeb.container = DirContainer(dpath, log)
+            oeb.container = DirContainer(dpath, log, ignore_opf=True)
             item = oeb.manifest.hrefs[htmlfile_map[path]]
             rewrite_links(item.data, partial(self.resource_adder, base=dpath))
 
@@ -409,7 +410,7 @@ class HTMLInput(InputFormatPlugin):
             if not item.linear: continue
             toc.add(title, item.href)
 
-        oeb.container = DirContainer(os.getcwdu(), oeb.log)
+        oeb.container = DirContainer(os.getcwdu(), oeb.log, ignore_opf=True)
         return oeb
 
     def link_to_local_path(self, link_, base=None):
@@ -456,7 +457,7 @@ class HTMLInput(InputFormatPlugin):
                     href=bhref)
             self.oeb.log.debug('Added', link)
             self.oeb.container = self.DirContainer(os.path.dirname(link),
-                    self.oeb.log)
+                    self.oeb.log, ignore_opf=True)
             # Load into memory
             guessed = self.guess_type(href)[0]
             media_type = guessed or self.BINARY_MIME
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/base.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/base.py
index f2c9696976..c07386e1fd 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/base.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/base.py
@@ -446,22 +446,23 @@ class NullContainer(object):
 class DirContainer(object):
     """Filesystem directory container."""
 
-    def __init__(self, path, log):
+    def __init__(self, path, log, ignore_opf=False):
         self.log = log
         if isbytestring(path):
             path = path.decode(filesystem_encoding)
+        self.opfname = None
         ext = os.path.splitext(path)[1].lower()
         if ext == '.opf':
             self.opfname = os.path.basename(path)
             self.rootdir = os.path.dirname(path)
             return
         self.rootdir = path
-        for path in self.namelist():
-            ext = os.path.splitext(path)[1].lower()
-            if ext == '.opf':
-                self.opfname = path
-                return
-        self.opfname = None
+        if not ignore_opf:
+            for path in self.namelist():
+                ext = os.path.splitext(path)[1].lower()
+                if ext == '.opf':
+                    self.opfname = path
+                    return
 
     def read(self, path):
         if path is None: