diff -urNp poppler-0.8.4.orig/utils/HtmlOutputDev.cc poppler-0.8.4.simx/utils/HtmlOutputDev.cc
--- poppler-0.8.4.orig/utils/HtmlOutputDev.cc	2008-03-26 15:38:52.000000000 -0400
+++ poppler-0.8.4.simx/utils/HtmlOutputDev.cc	2008-07-24 20:06:05.173967400 -0400
@@ -333,6 +333,15 @@ void HtmlPage::endString() {
   curStr = NULL;
 }
 
+static const char *strrstr( const char *s, const char *ss )
+{
+  const char *p = strstr( s, ss );
+  for( const char *pp = p; pp != NULL; pp = strstr( p+1, ss ) ){
+    p = pp;
+  }
+  return p;
+}
+
 void HtmlPage::coalesce() {
   HtmlString *str1, *str2;
   HtmlFont *hfont1, *hfont2;
@@ -402,7 +411,7 @@ void HtmlPage::coalesce() {
     str1->htext->insert(0,"<b>",3);
   if( hfont1->isItalic() )
     str1->htext->insert(0,"<i>",3);
-  if( str1->getLink() != NULL ) {
+  if( str1->getLink() != NULL && !xml ) {
     GooString *ls = str1->getLink()->getLinkStart();
     str1->htext->insert(0, ls);
     delete ls;
@@ -495,19 +504,25 @@ void HtmlPage::coalesce() {
       }
 
       /* fix <i> and <b> if str1 and str2 differ */
-      if( hfont1->isBold() && !hfont2->isBold() )
-	str1->htext->append("</b>", 4);
-      if( hfont1->isItalic() && !hfont2->isItalic() )
-	str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
-      if( !hfont1->isBold() && hfont2->isBold() )
-	str1->htext->append("<b>", 3);
+      bool finish_italic = hfont1->isItalic() && !hfont2->isItalic();
+      bool finish_bold   = hfont1->isBold()   && ( !hfont2->isBold() || finish_italic );
+      if( finish_bold && finish_italic && strrstr( str1->htext->getCString(), "<i>" ) > strrstr( str1->htext->getCString(), "<b>" ) ){
+        str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
+        finish_italic = false;
+      }
+      if( finish_bold )
+        str1->htext->append("</b>", 4);
+      if( finish_italic )
+        str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
       if( !hfont1->isItalic() && hfont2->isItalic() )
 	str1->htext->append("<i>", 3);
+      if( ( !hfont1->isBold() || finish_bold ) && hfont2->isBold() )
+	str1->htext->append("<b>", 3);
 
       /* now handle switch of links */
       HtmlLink *hlink1 = str1->getLink();
       HtmlLink *hlink2 = str2->getLink();
-      if( !hlink1 || !hlink2 || !hlink1->isEqualDest(*hlink2) ) {
+      if( !xml && ( !hlink1 || !hlink2 || !hlink1->isEqualDest(*hlink2) ) ) {
 	if(hlink1 != NULL )
 	  str1->htext->append("</a>");
 	if(hlink2 != NULL ) {
@@ -531,11 +546,17 @@ void HtmlPage::coalesce() {
       delete str2;
     } else { // keep strings separate
 //      printf("no\n"); 
-      if( hfont1->isBold() )
-	str1->htext->append("</b>",4);
-      if( hfont1->isItalic() )
-	str1->htext->append("</i>",4);
-      if(str1->getLink() != NULL )
+      GBool finish_bold   = hfont1->isBold();
+      GBool finish_italic = hfont1->isItalic();
+      if( finish_bold && finish_italic && strrstr( str1->htext->getCString(), "<i>" ) > strrstr( str1->htext->getCString(), "<b>" ) ){
+        str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
+        finish_italic = false;
+      }
+      if( finish_bold )
+        str1->htext->append("</b>", 4);
+      if( finish_italic )
+        str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
+      if(str1->getLink() != NULL && !xml )
 	str1->htext->append("</a>");
      
       str1->xMin = curX; str1->yMin = curY; 
@@ -546,7 +567,7 @@ void HtmlPage::coalesce() {
 	str1->htext->insert(0,"<b>",3);
       if( hfont1->isItalic() )
 	str1->htext->insert(0,"<i>",3);
-      if( str1->getLink() != NULL ) {
+      if( str1->getLink() != NULL && !xml ) {
 	GooString *ls = str1->getLink()->getLinkStart();
 	str1->htext->insert(0, ls);
 	delete ls;
@@ -554,11 +575,17 @@ void HtmlPage::coalesce() {
     }
   }
   str1->xMin = curX; str1->yMin = curY;
-  if( hfont1->isBold() )
-    str1->htext->append("</b>",4);
-  if( hfont1->isItalic() )
-    str1->htext->append("</i>",4);
-  if(str1->getLink() != NULL )
+  GBool finish_bold   = hfont1->isBold();
+  GBool finish_italic = hfont1->isItalic();
+  if( finish_bold && finish_italic && strrstr( str1->htext->getCString(), "<i>" ) > strrstr( str1->htext->getCString(), "<b>" ) ){
+    str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
+    finish_italic = false;
+  }
+  if( finish_bold )
+    str1->htext->append("</b>", 4);
+  if( finish_italic )
+    str1->htext->append("</i>", 4);
+  if(str1->getLink() != NULL && !xml )
     str1->htext->append("</a>");
 
 #if 0 //~ for debugging