diff --git a/src/gen/plug/docbackend/docbackend.py b/src/gen/plug/docbackend/docbackend.py
index 88bf07f65..deacdf04d 100644
--- a/src/gen/plug/docbackend/docbackend.py
+++ b/src/gen/plug/docbackend/docbackend.py
@@ -341,15 +341,35 @@ class DocBackend(object):
                 for opentag in opentags:
                     otext += opentag[0]
             start = pos
-        #add remainder of text, no markup present there
-        otext += self.ESCAPE_FUNC()(text[start:end])
-
-        #opentags should be empty. If not, user gave tags on positions that 
-        # are over the end of the text. Just close the tags still open
+        #add remainder of text, no markup present there if all is correct
         if opentags:
+            # a problem, we don't have a closing tag left but there are open
+            # tags. Just keep them up to end of text
+            pos = len(text)
             print 'WARNING: DocBackend : More style tags in text than length '\
                     'of text allows.\n', opentags
+            if pos > start:
+                if split:
+                    #make sure text can split
+                    splitpos = text[start:pos].find(split)
+                    while splitpos != -1:
+                        otext += self.ESCAPE_FUNC()(text[start:start+splitpos])
+                        #close open tags
+                        for opentag in reversed(opentags):
+                            otext += opentag[1]
+                        #add split text
+                        otext += self.ESCAPE_FUNC()(split)
+                        #open the tags again
+                        for opentag in opentags:
+                            otext += opentag[0]
+                        #obtain new values
+                        start = start + splitpos + lensplit
+                        splitpos = text[start:pos].find(split)
+                    
+                otext += self.ESCAPE_FUNC()(text[start:pos])
             for opentag in reversed(opentags):
                 otext += opentag[1]
-        
+        else:
+            otext += self.ESCAPE_FUNC()(text[start:end])
+
         return otext
diff --git a/src/plugins/docgen/ODFDoc.py b/src/plugins/docgen/ODFDoc.py
index 11d41df3d..a491744da 100644
--- a/src/plugins/docgen/ODFDoc.py
+++ b/src/plugins/docgen/ODFDoc.py
@@ -1222,9 +1222,6 @@ class ODFDoc(BaseDoc, TextDoc, DrawDoc):
         """
         text = str(styledtext)
         s_tags = styledtext.get_tags()
-        text = text.replace('&', '\1') # must be the first
-        text = text.replace('<', '\2')
-        text = text.replace('>', '\3')
         markuptext = self._backend.add_markup_from_styled(text, s_tags, '\n')
         # we need to know if we have new styles to add.
         # if markuptext contains : FontColor, FontFace, FontSize ...
@@ -1243,9 +1240,6 @@ class ODFDoc(BaseDoc, TextDoc, DrawDoc):
             start = m.end()
         linenb = 1
         self.start_paragraph(style_name)
-        markuptext = markuptext.replace('\1', '&amp;') # must be the first
-        markuptext = markuptext.replace('\2', '&lt;')
-        markuptext = markuptext.replace('\3', '&gt;')
         for line in markuptext.split('\n'):
             [line, sigcount] = process_spaces(line, format)
             if sigcount == 0:
diff --git a/src/plugins/lib/libodfbackend.py b/src/plugins/lib/libodfbackend.py
index 8470e4958..e4c4b9b8c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/lib/libodfbackend.py
+++ b/src/plugins/lib/libodfbackend.py
@@ -61,7 +61,13 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(".odfbackend.py")
 
 def _escape(string):
     """ a write to the file
+    """"""
+    change text in text that latex shows correctly
+    special characters: & < and >
     """
+    string = string.replace('&', '&amp;') # must be the first
+    string = string.replace('<', '&lt;')
+    string = string.replace('>', '&gt;')
     return string
 
 class OdfBackend(DocBackend):