diff --git a/src/calibre/__init__.py b/src/calibre/__init__.py
index 6e3ac55a77..3346f205b8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/__init__.py
@@ -384,6 +384,15 @@ def entity_to_unicode(match, exceptions=[], encoding='cp1252'):
     except KeyError:
         return '&'+ent+';'
 
+_ent_pat = re.compile(r'&(\S+);')
+
+def prepare_string_for_xml(raw, attribute=False):
+    raw = _ent_pat.sub(entity_to_unicode, raw)
+    raw = raw.replace('&', '&amp;').replace('<', '&lt;').replace('>', '&gt;')
+    if attribute:
+        raw = raw.replace('"', '&quot;').replace("'", '&apos;')
+    return raw
+
 if isosx:
     fdir = os.path.expanduser('~/.fonts')
     try:
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py
index be096eece3..6e09c7e6d9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/epub/output.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from urllib import unquote
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OutputFormatPlugin
 from calibre.ptempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__
-from calibre import strftime, guess_type
+from calibre import strftime, guess_type, prepare_string_for_xml
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OptionRecommendation
 
 from lxml import etree
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ class EPUBOutput(OutputFormatPlugin):
         id, href = self.oeb.manifest.generate('calibre-logo',
                 'calibre-logo.png')
         self.oeb.manifest.add(id, href, 'image/png', data=img_data)
+        title, author = map(prepare_string_for_xml, (title, author))
         html = self.TITLEPAGE%dict(title=title, author=author,
                 date=strftime('%d %b, %Y'),
                 app=__appname__ +' '+__version__,
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/split.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/split.py
index d4b60e3a59..d8d750eade 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/split.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/split.py
@@ -301,30 +301,26 @@ class FlowSplitter(object):
 
         # Tree 1
         hit_split_point = False
-        for elem in list(body.iterdescendants(etree.Element)):
+        for elem in list(body.iterdescendants()):
             if elem is split_point:
                 hit_split_point = True
                 if before:
-                    x = elem.get('id', None)
                     nix_element(elem)
 
                 continue
             if hit_split_point:
-                x = elem.get('id', None)
                 nix_element(elem)
 
 
         # Tree 2
         hit_split_point = False
-        for elem in list(body2.iterdescendants(etree.Element)):
+        for elem in list(body2.iterdescendants()):
             if elem is split_point2:
                 hit_split_point = True
                 if not before:
-                    x = elem.get('id', None)
                     nix_element(elem, top=False)
                 continue
             if not hit_split_point:
-                x = elem.get('id', None)
                 nix_element(elem, top=False)
         body2.text = '\n'