diff --git a/components/fpspreadsheet/examples/other/test_write_formatting.pas b/components/fpspreadsheet/examples/other/test_write_formatting.pas
index 144937c77..58879b825 100644
--- a/components/fpspreadsheet/examples/other/test_write_formatting.pas
+++ b/components/fpspreadsheet/examples/other/test_write_formatting.pas
@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ begin
   WriteSecondWorksheet();
 
   // Save the spreadsheet to a file
-  MyWorkbook.WriteToFile(MyDir + 'test3.xls', sfExcel8, False);
-//  MyWorkbook.WriteToFile(MyDir + 'test3.odt', sfOpenDocument, False);
+//  MyWorkbook.WriteToFile(MyDir + 'test3.xls', sfExcel8, False);
+  MyWorkbook.WriteToFile(MyDir + 'test3.odt', sfOpenDocument, False);
   MyWorkbook.Free;
 end.
 
diff --git a/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsopendocument.pas b/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsopendocument.pas
index fcba23689..db1c847ca 100755
--- a/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsopendocument.pas
+++ b/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsopendocument.pas
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ uses
   Classes, SysUtils,
   fpszipper, {NOTE: fpszipper is the latest zipper.pp Change to standard zipper when FPC 2.4 is released. Changed by JLJR}
   fpspreadsheet,
-  xmlread, DOM, AVL_Tree,math;
+  xmlread, DOM, AVL_Tree,
+  math,
+  fpsutils;
   
 type
 
@@ -632,7 +634,7 @@ begin
   // The row should already be the correct one
   FContent := FContent +
     '  <table:table-cell office:value-type="string"' + lStyle + '>' + LineEnding +
-    '    <text:p>' + AValue + '</text:p>' + LineEnding +
+    '    <text:p>' + UTF8TextToXMLText(AValue) + '</text:p>' + LineEnding +
     '  </table:table-cell>' + LineEnding;
 end;
 
diff --git a/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsutils.pas b/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsutils.pas
index 070abefe0..b5abf488c 100644
--- a/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsutils.pas
+++ b/components/fpspreadsheet/fpsutils.pas
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ function ParseCellRowString(const AStr: string;
   var AResult: Integer): Boolean;
 function ParseCellColString(const AStr: string;
   var AResult: Integer): Boolean;
+function UTF8TextToXMLText(AText: ansistring): ansistring;
 
 implementation
 
@@ -264,5 +265,42 @@ begin
   Result := True;
 end;
 
+{In XML files some chars must be translated}
+function UTF8TextToXMLText(AText: ansistring): ansistring;
+var
+  Idx:Integer;
+  WrkStr, AppoSt:ansistring;
+begin
+  WrkStr:='';
+
+  for Idx:=1 to Length(AText) do
+  begin
+    case AText[Idx] of
+      '&': begin
+        AppoSt:=Copy(AText, Idx, 6);
+
+        if (Pos('&amp;',  AppoSt) = 1) or
+           (Pos('&lt;',   AppoSt) = 1) or
+           (Pos('&gt;',   AppoSt) = 1) or
+           (Pos('&quot;', AppoSt) = 1) or
+           (Pos('&apos;', AppoSt) = 1) then begin
+          //'&' is the first char of a special chat, it must not be converted
+          WrkStr:=WrkStr + AText[Idx];
+        end else begin
+          WrkStr:=WrkStr + '&amp;';
+        end;
+      end;
+      '<': WrkStr:=WrkStr + '&lt;';
+      '>': WrkStr:=WrkStr + '&gt;';
+      '"': WrkStr:=WrkStr + '&quot;';
+      '''':WrkStr:=WrkStr + '&apos;';
+    else
+      WrkStr:=WrkStr + AText[Idx];
+    end;
+  end;
+
+  Result:=WrkStr;
+end;
+
 end.