diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/from_html.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/from_html.py
index fb37c25893..3271a0d421 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/from_html.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/from_html.py
@@ -224,6 +224,10 @@ def convert(htmlfile, opts, notification=None):
             opts.override_css = open(opts.override_css, 'rb').read().decode(preferred_encoding, 'replace')
         except:
             opts.override_css = opts.override_css.decode(preferred_encoding, 'replace')
+    if opts.from_opf:
+        opts.from_opf = os.path.abspath(opts.from_opf)
+    if opts.from_ncx:
+        opts.from_ncx = os.path.abspath(opts.from_ncx)
     if htmlfile.lower().endswith('.opf'):
         opf = OPF(htmlfile, os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(htmlfile)))
         filelist = opf_traverse(opf, verbose=opts.verbose, encoding=opts.encoding)
@@ -233,7 +237,7 @@ def convert(htmlfile, opts, notification=None):
             if htmlfile is None:
                 raise ValueError('Could not find suitable file to convert.')
             filelist = get_filelist(htmlfile, opts)[1]
-        mi = MetaInformation(opf)
+        mi = merge_metadata(None, opf, opts)
     else:
         opf, filelist = get_filelist(htmlfile, opts)
         mi = merge_metadata(htmlfile, opf, opts)
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/html.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/html.py
index 9fd0f348b0..64168823d5 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/html.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/html.py
@@ -906,11 +906,12 @@ def merge_metadata(htmlfile, opf, opts):
     '''
     if opf:
         mi = MetaInformation(opf)
-    else:
+    elif htmlfile:
         try:
             mi =  get_metadata(open(htmlfile, 'rb'), 'html')
         except:
             mi = MetaInformation(None, None)
+    
     if opts.from_opf is not None and os.access(opts.from_opf, os.R_OK):
         mi.smart_update(OPF(open(opts.from_opf, 'rb'), os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(opts.from_opf))))
     for attr in ('title', 'authors', 'publisher', 'tags', 'comments'):