diff --git a/src/extract/xtr_textsubs.cpp b/src/extract/xtr_textsubs.cpp
index bb5519a6f..92785d338 100644
--- a/src/extract/xtr_textsubs.cpp
+++ b/src/extract/xtr_textsubs.cpp
@@ -345,6 +345,14 @@ xtr_usf_c::create_file(xtr_base_c *_master,
 
   } else {
     try {
+      int end_tag_pos;
+      string codec_private_mod, end_tag = "</USFSubtitles>";
+
+      codec_private_mod = m_codec_private;
+      end_tag_pos = codec_private_mod.find(end_tag);
+      if (0 <= end_tag_pos)
+        codec_private_mod.erase(end_tag_pos, end_tag.length());
+
       out = new mm_file_io_c(file_name, MODE_CREATE);
 
       m_formatter =
@@ -352,8 +360,7 @@ xtr_usf_c::create_file(xtr_base_c *_master,
       m_formatter->set_doctype("USFSubtitles", "USFV100.dtd");
       m_formatter->set_stylesheet("text/xsl", "USFV100.xsl");
       m_formatter->write_header();
-      m_formatter->format("<USFSubtitles version=\"1.00\">\n");
-      m_formatter->format(m_codec_private + "\n");
+      m_formatter->format(codec_private_mod + "\n");
     } catch (mm_io_error_c &error) {
       mxerror("Failed to create the file '%s': %d (%s)\n", file_name.c_str(),
               errno, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/src/input/r_usf.cpp b/src/input/r_usf.cpp
index c7208953a..7bef6e932 100644
--- a/src/input/r_usf.cpp
+++ b/src/input/r_usf.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ usf_reader_c::usf_reader_c(track_info_c &_ti)
       }
     }
 
+    m_private_data += "</USFSubtitles>";
+
     for (i = 0; m_tracks.size() > i; ++i) {
       stable_sort(m_tracks[i].m_entries.begin(), m_tracks[i].m_entries.end());
       m_tracks[i].m_current_entry = m_tracks[i].m_entries.begin();
@@ -167,10 +169,6 @@ usf_reader_c::start_cb(const char *name,
   m_previous_start = name;
   m_parents.push_back(name);
 
-  if (1 >= m_parents.size())
-    // Nothing to do for the root element.
-    return;
-
   // Generate the full path to this node.
   for (i = 0; m_parents.size() > i; ++i) {
     if (!node.empty())
@@ -203,7 +201,10 @@ usf_reader_c::start_cb(const char *name,
     return;
   }
 
-  if (node == "USFSubtitles.subtitles") {
+  if (node == "USFSubtitles")
+    m_private_data += create_xml_node_name(name, atts);
+
+  else if (node == "USFSubtitles.subtitles") {
     usf_track_t new_track;
     m_tracks.push_back(new_track);