diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp
index 58ea3225..5651d5ab 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ std::string stripHtml(const std::string& html) {
   for (size_t i = 0; i < html.size(); ++i) {
     const char c = html[i];
     if (c == '<') {
-      // Only treat as a tag if followed by a tag-like character; otherwise keep literal '<'
-      size_t j = i + 1;
-      while (j < html.size() && html[j] == ' ') ++j;
+      // Only treat as a tag if immediately followed (no space skip) by a tag-like character
+      const size_t j = i + 1;
       if (j < html.size() &&
           (isalpha(static_cast<unsigned char>(html[j])) || html[j] == '/' || html[j] == '!' || html[j] == '?')) {
         inTag = true;
@@ -33,7 +32,11 @@ std::string stripHtml(const std::string& html) {
         result += c;
       }
     } else if (c == '>') {
-      inTag = false;
+      if (inTag) {
+        inTag = false;
+      } else {
+        result += c;
+      }
     } else if (!inTag) {
       if (c == '&') {
         // Decode common HTML entities not covered by Expat
@@ -196,7 +199,10 @@ void XMLCALL ContentOpfParser::startElement(void* userData, const XML_Char* name
   }
 
   if (self->state == IN_METADATA && strcmp(name, "dc:description") == 0) {
-    self->state = IN_BOOK_DESCRIPTION;
+    // Only capture the first dc:description element; subsequent ones are alternate/localized variants
+    if (self->description.empty()) {
+      self->state = IN_BOOK_DESCRIPTION;
+    }
     return;
   }
 
@@ -254,9 +260,9 @@ void XMLCALL ContentOpfParser::startElement(void* userData, const XML_Char* name
       if (strcmp(metaName, "cover") == 0) {
         self->coverItemId = metaContent;
       } else if (strcmp(metaName, "calibre:series") == 0 && self->series.empty()) {
-        self->series = metaContent;
+        self->series = std::string(metaContent).substr(0, MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH);
       } else if (strcmp(metaName, "calibre:series_index") == 0 && self->seriesIndex.empty()) {
-        self->seriesIndex = metaContent;
+        self->seriesIndex = std::string(metaContent).substr(0, MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH);
       }
     }
 
@@ -457,12 +463,18 @@ void XMLCALL ContentOpfParser::characterData(void* userData, const XML_Char* s,
   }
 
   if (self->state == IN_BOOK_SERIES) {
-    self->series.append(s, len);
+    if (self->series.size() < MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH) {
+      const size_t remaining = MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH - self->series.size();
+      self->series.append(s, std::min(static_cast<size_t>(len), remaining));
+    }
     return;
   }
 
   if (self->state == IN_BOOK_SERIES_INDEX) {
-    self->seriesIndex.append(s, len);
+    if (self->seriesIndex.size() < MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH) {
+      const size_t remaining = MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH - self->seriesIndex.size();
+      self->seriesIndex.append(s, std::min(static_cast<size_t>(len), remaining));
+    }
     return;
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Serialization/Serialization.h b/lib/Serialization/Serialization.h
index 1308822f..37df1c83 100644
--- a/lib/Serialization/Serialization.h
+++ b/lib/Serialization/Serialization.h
@@ -36,17 +36,23 @@ static void writeString(FsFile& file, const std::string& s) {
   file.write(reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(s.data()), len);
 }
 
-static void readString(std::istream& is, std::string& s) {
+constexpr uint32_t MAX_STRING_LENGTH = 4096;
+
+static bool readString(std::istream& is, std::string& s) {
   uint32_t len;
   readPod(is, len);
+  if (len > MAX_STRING_LENGTH) return false;
   s.resize(len);
   is.read(&s[0], len);
+  return true;
 }
 
-static void readString(FsFile& file, std::string& s) {
+static bool readString(FsFile& file, std::string& s) {
   uint32_t len;
   readPod(file, len);
+  if (len > MAX_STRING_LENGTH) return false;
   s.resize(len);
-  file.read(&s[0], len);
+  file.read(reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&s[0]), len);
+  return true;
 }
 }  // namespace serialization
diff --git a/src/RecentBooksStore.cpp b/src/RecentBooksStore.cpp
index 18a98c43..a013db7a 100644
--- a/src/RecentBooksStore.cpp
+++ b/src/RecentBooksStore.cpp
@@ -41,13 +41,14 @@ void RecentBooksStore::addBook(const std::string& path, const std::string& title
 }
 
 void RecentBooksStore::updateBook(const std::string& path, const std::string& title, const std::string& author,
-                                  const std::string& coverBmpPath) {
+                                  const std::string& series, const std::string& coverBmpPath) {
   auto it =
       std::find_if(recentBooks.begin(), recentBooks.end(), [&](const RecentBook& book) { return book.path == path; });
   if (it != recentBooks.end()) {
     RecentBook& book = *it;
     book.title = title;
     book.author = author;
+    book.series = series;
     book.coverBmpPath = coverBmpPath;
     saveToFile();
   }
@@ -125,15 +126,22 @@ bool RecentBooksStore::loadFromBinaryFile() {
     recentBooks.reserve(count);
     for (uint8_t i = 0; i < count; i++) {
       std::string path;
-      serialization::readString(inputFile, path);
+      if (!serialization::readString(inputFile, path)) {
+        LOG_ERR("RBS", "Corrupt recent.bin: string too long at entry %u", i);
+        inputFile.close();
+        return false;
+      }
 
       // load book to get missing data
       RecentBook book = getDataFromBook(path);
       if (book.title.empty() && book.author.empty() && version == 2) {
         // Fall back to loading what we can from the store
         std::string title, author;
-        serialization::readString(inputFile, title);
-        serialization::readString(inputFile, author);
+        if (!serialization::readString(inputFile, title) || !serialization::readString(inputFile, author)) {
+          LOG_ERR("RBS", "Corrupt recent.bin: string too long at entry %u", i);
+          inputFile.close();
+          return false;
+        }
         recentBooks.push_back({path, title, author, "", ""});
       } else {
         recentBooks.push_back(book);
@@ -149,10 +157,12 @@ bool RecentBooksStore::loadFromBinaryFile() {
 
     for (uint8_t i = 0; i < count; i++) {
       std::string path, title, author, coverBmpPath;
-      serialization::readString(inputFile, path);
-      serialization::readString(inputFile, title);
-      serialization::readString(inputFile, author);
-      serialization::readString(inputFile, coverBmpPath);
+      if (!serialization::readString(inputFile, path) || !serialization::readString(inputFile, title) ||
+          !serialization::readString(inputFile, author) || !serialization::readString(inputFile, coverBmpPath)) {
+        LOG_ERR("RBS", "Corrupt recent.bin: string too long at entry %u", i);
+        inputFile.close();
+        return false;
+      }
 
       // Omit books with missing title (e.g. saved before metadata was available)
       if (title.empty()) {
diff --git a/src/RecentBooksStore.h b/src/RecentBooksStore.h
index 100bff0d..bd7ad16d 100644
--- a/src/RecentBooksStore.h
+++ b/src/RecentBooksStore.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class RecentBooksStore {
                const std::string& coverBmpPath);
 
   void updateBook(const std::string& path, const std::string& title, const std::string& author,
-                  const std::string& coverBmpPath);
+                  const std::string& series, const std::string& coverBmpPath);
 
   // Get the list of recent books (most recent first)
   const std::vector<RecentBook>& getBooks() const { return recentBooks; }
diff --git a/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp b/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp
index 810cb50b..bc2180fa 100644
--- a/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void HomeActivity::loadRecentCovers(int coverHeight) {
           GUI.fillPopupProgress(renderer, popupRect, 10 + progress * (90 / recentBooks.size()));
           bool success = epub.generateThumbBmp(coverHeight);
           if (!success) {
-            RECENT_BOOKS.updateBook(book.path, book.title, book.author, "");
+            RECENT_BOOKS.updateBook(book.path, book.title, book.author, book.series, "");
             book.coverBmpPath = "";
           }
           coverRendered = false;
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ void HomeActivity::loadRecentCovers(int coverHeight) {
             GUI.fillPopupProgress(renderer, popupRect, 10 + progress * (90 / recentBooks.size()));
             bool success = xtc.generateThumbBmp(coverHeight);
             if (!success) {
-              RECENT_BOOKS.updateBook(book.path, book.title, book.author, "");
+              RECENT_BOOKS.updateBook(book.path, book.title, book.author, book.series, "");
               book.coverBmpPath = "";
             }
             coverRendered = false;