diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py
index 6596e9b1a2..624b277e61 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py
@@ -138,3 +138,11 @@ def check_ebook_format(stream, current_guess):
         stream.seek(0)
     return ans
 
+def calibre_cover(title, author_string, series_string=None,
+        output_format='jpg', title_size=46, author_size=36):
+    from calibre.utils.magick.draw import create_cover_page, TextLine
+    lines = [TextLine(title, title_size), TextLine(author_string, author_size)]
+    if series_string:
+        lines.append(TextLine(series_string, author_size))
+    return create_cover_page(lines, I('library.png'), output_format='jpg')
+
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/cover.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/cover.py
index 83b7b5d3c1..59b42df68a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/cover.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/transforms/cover.py
@@ -89,19 +89,22 @@ class CoverManager(object):
         '''
         Create a generic cover for books that dont have a cover
         '''
-        from calibre.ebooks.metadata import authors_to_string
+        from calibre.ebooks.metadata import authors_to_string, fmt_sidx
         if self.no_default_cover:
             return None
         self.log('Generating default cover')
         m = self.oeb.metadata
         title = unicode(m.title[0])
         authors = [unicode(x) for x in m.creator if x.role == 'aut']
+        series_string = None
+        if m.series and m.series_index:
+            series_string = _('Book %s of %s')%(
+                    fmt_sidx(m.series_index[0], use_roman=True), m.series[0])
 
         try:
-            from calibre.utils.magick.draw import create_cover_page, TextLine
-            lines = [TextLine(title, 44), TextLine(authors_to_string(authors),
-                32)]
-            img_data = create_cover_page(lines, I('library.png'))
+            from calibre.ebooks import calibre_cover
+            img_data = calibre_cover(title, authors_to_string(authors),
+                    series_string=series_string)
             id, href = self.oeb.manifest.generate('cover_image',
                     'cover_image.jpg')
             item = self.oeb.manifest.add(id, href, guess_type('t.jpg')[0],
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
index 1393a50738..3d79b01c14 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
@@ -144,15 +144,23 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
                     self.cover_data = cover
 
     def generate_cover(self, *args):
-        from calibre.utils.magick.draw import create_cover_page, TextLine
+        from calibre.ebooks import calibre_cover
+        from calibre.ebooks.metadata import fmt_sidx
+        from calibre.gui2 import config
         title = unicode(self.title.text()).strip()
         author = unicode(self.authors.text()).strip()
         if not title or not author:
             return error_dialog(self, _('Specify title and author'),
                     _('You must specify a title and author before generating '
                         'a cover'), show=True)
-        lines = [TextLine(title, 44), TextLine(author, 32)]
-        self.cover_data = create_cover_page(lines, I('library.png'))
+        series = unicode(self.series.text()).strip()
+        series_string = None
+        if series:
+            series_string = _('Book %s of %s')%(
+                    fmt_sidx(self.series_index.value(),
+                        use_roman=config['use_roman_numerals_for_series_number']), series)
+        self.cover_data = calibre_cover(title, author,
+                series_string=series_string)
         pix = QPixmap()
         pix.loadFromData(self.cover_data)
         self.cover.setPixmap(pix)
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
index 6df73487ed..9ba9583c73 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
@@ -1018,12 +1018,11 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(Recipe):
         Create a generic cover for recipes that dont have a cover
         '''
         try:
-            from calibre.utils.magick.draw import create_cover_page, TextLine
+            from calibre.ebooks import calibre_cover
             title = self.title if isinstance(self.title, unicode) else \
                     self.title.decode(preferred_encoding, 'replace')
             date = strftime(self.timefmt)
-            lines = [TextLine(title, 44), TextLine(date, 32)]
-            img_data = create_cover_page(lines, I('library.png'), output_format='jpg')
+            img_data = calibre_cover(title, date)
             cover_file.write(img_data)
             cover_file.flush()
         except: