diff --git a/libvips/foreign/jpeg2vips.c b/libvips/foreign/jpeg2vips.c
index 43d9cb4b..980f1635 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/jpeg2vips.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/jpeg2vips.c
@@ -328,6 +328,32 @@ attach_blob( VipsImage *im, const char *field, void *data, int data_length )
 	return( 0 );
 }
 
+/* data is the XMP string ... it'll have something like 
+ * "http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/" at the front, then a null character, then
+ * the real XMP.
+ */
+static int
+attach_xmp_blob( VipsImage *im, void *data, int data_length )
+{
+	char *p = (char *) data;
+	int i;
+
+	if( !vips_isprefix( "http", p ) ) 
+		return( 0 );
+
+	/* Search for a null char within the first few characters. 80
+	 * should be plenty for a basic URL.
+	 */
+	for( i = 0; i < 80; i++ )
+		if( !p[i] ) 
+			break;
+	if( p[i] )
+		return( 0 );
+
+	return( attach_blob( im, VIPS_META_XMP_NAME, 
+		p + i + 1, data_length - i - 1 ) );
+}
+
 /* Number of app2 sections we can capture. Each one can be 64k, so 6400k should
  * be enough for anyone (haha).
  */
@@ -490,7 +516,7 @@ read_jpeg_header( ReadJpeg *jpeg, VipsImage *out )
 
 			if( p->data_length > 4 &&
 				vips_isprefix( "http", (char *) p->data ) &&
-				attach_blob( out, VIPS_META_XMP_NAME, 
+				attach_xmp_blob( out, 
 					p->data, p->data_length ) )
 				return( -1 );
 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/vips2jpeg.c b/libvips/foreign/vips2jpeg.c
index 5b8ee613..9fa45ee3 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/vips2jpeg.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/vips2jpeg.c
@@ -260,7 +260,39 @@ write_blob( Write *write, const char *field, int app )
 #endif /*DEBUG*/
 
 			jpeg_write_marker( &write->cinfo, app, 
-				data, data_length ); } }
+				data, data_length ); 
+		} 
+	}
+
+	return( 0 );
+}
+
+#define XML_URL "http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/"
+
+static int
+write_xmp( Write *write )
+{
+	unsigned char *data;
+	size_t data_length;
+	char *p;
+
+	if( !vips_image_get_typeof( write->in, VIPS_META_XMP_NAME ) ) 
+		return( 0 );
+	if( vips_image_get_blob( write->in, VIPS_META_XMP_NAME, 
+		(void *) &data, &data_length ) )
+		return( -1 );
+
+	/* We need to add the magic XML URL to the start, then a null
+	 * character, then the data.
+	 */
+	p = g_malloc( data_length + strlen( XML_URL ) + 1 );
+	strcpy( p, XML_URL );
+	memcpy( p + strlen( XML_URL ) + 1, data, data_length );
+	
+	jpeg_write_marker( &write->cinfo, JPEG_APP0 + 1, 
+		(unsigned char *) p, data_length + strlen( XML_URL ) + 1 ); 
+
+	g_free( p );
 
 	return( 0 );
 }
@@ -593,8 +625,7 @@ write_vips( Write *write, int qfac, const char *profile,
 	 */
 	if( !strip ) { 
 		if( write_exif( write ) ||
-			write_blob( write, 
-				VIPS_META_XMP_NAME, JPEG_APP0 + 1 ) ||
+			write_xmp( write ) ||
 			write_blob( write, 
 				VIPS_META_IPTC_NAME, JPEG_APP0 + 13 ) )
 			return( -1 );