diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py
index 7b2cf22eac..ce368254ce 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/__init__.py
@@ -297,3 +297,16 @@ def generate_masthead(title, output_path=None, width=600, height=60):
     from calibre.ebooks.covers import generate_masthead
     return generate_masthead(title, output_path=output_path, width=width, height=height, font_family=masthead_font_family)
 
+def escape_xpath_attr(value):
+    if '"' in value:
+        if "'" in value:
+            parts = re.split('("+)', value)
+            ans = []
+            for x in parts:
+                if x:
+                    q = "'" if '"' in x else '"'
+                    ans.append(q + x + q)
+            return 'concat(%s)' % ', '.join(ans)
+        else:
+            return "'%s'" % value
+    return '"%s"' % value
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py
index 62e4cd9d59..89d40b549a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from urlparse import urlparse
 
 from lxml import etree
 
+from calibre.ebooks import escape_xpath_attr
 from calibre.ebooks.chardet import xml_to_unicode
 from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__, filesystem_encoding
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.toc import TOC
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.metadata import string_to_authors, MetaInformation, check_is
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.book.base import Metadata
 from calibre.utils.date import parse_date, isoformat
 from calibre.utils.localization import get_lang, canonicalize_lang
-from calibre import prints, guess_type, prepare_string_for_xml
+from calibre import prints, guess_type
 from calibre.utils.cleantext import clean_ascii_chars, clean_xml_chars
 from calibre.utils.config import tweaks
 
@@ -1120,7 +1121,7 @@ class OPF(object):  # {{{
                 uuid_elem = self.root.attrib[attr]
                 break
         if uuid_elem:
-            matches = self.root.xpath('//*[@id="%s"]'%prepare_string_for_xml(uuid_elem, True))
+            matches = self.root.xpath('//*[@id=%s]'%escape_xpath_attr(uuid_elem))
             if matches:
                 for m in matches:
                     raw = m.text
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/container.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/container.py
index e342901f91..c5b1ccfe55 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/container.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/container.py
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@ from future_builtins import zip
 from lxml import etree
 from cssutils import replaceUrls, getUrls
 
-from calibre import CurrentDir, prepare_string_for_xml
+from calibre import CurrentDir
 from calibre.constants import iswindows
 from calibre.customize.ui import (plugin_for_input_format, plugin_for_output_format)
+from calibre.ebooks import escape_xpath_attr
 from calibre.ebooks.chardet import xml_to_unicode
 from calibre.ebooks.conversion.plugins.epub_input import (
     ADOBE_OBFUSCATION, IDPF_OBFUSCATION, decrypt_font_data)
@@ -1103,7 +1104,7 @@ class EpubContainer(Container):
                 package_id = val
                 break
         if package_id is not None:
-            for elem in self.opf_xpath('//*[@id="%s"]'%prepare_string_for_xml(package_id, True)):
+            for elem in self.opf_xpath('//*[@id=%s]'%escape_xpath_attr(package_id)):
                 if elem.text:
                     raw_unique_identifier = elem.text
                     break