diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/html_rewriter.py b/pywb/rewrite/html_rewriter.py
index f94e2b48..4ec3e530 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/html_rewriter.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/html_rewriter.py
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ from HTMLParser import HTMLParser, HTMLParseError
 from url_rewriter import UrlRewriter
 from regex_rewriters import JSRewriter, CSSRewriter
 
+import cgi
 
 #=================================================================
-class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
+class HTMLRewriterMixin(object):
     """
     HTML-Parsing Rewriter for custom rewriting, also delegates
     to rewriters for script and css
@@ -56,10 +57,13 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
     # ===========================
     class AccumBuff:
         def __init__(self):
-            self.buff = ''
+            self.ls = []
 
         def write(self, string):
-            self.buff += string
+            self.ls.append(string)
+
+        def getvalue(self):
+            return ''.join(self.ls)
 
     # ===========================
     def __init__(self, url_rewriter,
@@ -67,8 +71,6 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
                  js_rewriter_class=JSRewriter,
                  css_rewriter_class=CSSRewriter):
 
-        HTMLParser.__init__(self)
-
         self.url_rewriter = url_rewriter
         self._wb_parse_context = None
         #self.out = outstream if outstream else self.AccumBuff()
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
                 return value.lower() == attr_value.lower()
         return False
 
-    def rewrite_tag_attrs(self, tag, tag_attrs, is_start_end):
+    def _rewrite_tag_attrs(self, tag, tag_attrs, escape=False):
         # special case: script or style parse context
         if ((tag in self.STATE_TAGS) and not self._wb_parse_context):
             self._wb_parse_context = tag
@@ -148,8 +150,7 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
 
         self.out.write('<' + tag)
 
-        for attr in tag_attrs:
-            attr_name, attr_value = attr
+        for attr_name, attr_value in tag_attrs:
 
             # special case: inline JS/event handler
             if ((attr_value and attr_value.startswith('javascript:'))
@@ -174,24 +175,38 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
                 if rw_mod is not None:
                     attr_value = self._rewrite_url(attr_value, rw_mod)
 
-            # parser doesn't differentiate between 'attr=""' and just 'attr'
-            # 'attr=""' is more common, so use that form
-            if attr_value:
-                self.out.write(' ' + attr_name + '="' + attr_value + '"')
-            else:
-                self.out.write(' ' + attr_name + '=""')
-
-        self.out.write('/>' if is_start_end else '>')
-
-        # special case: head tag
-        if (self.head_insert and
-            not self._wb_parse_context and
-            (tag == 'head')):
-            self.out.write(self.head_insert)
-            self.head_insert = None
+            # write the attr!
+            self._write_attr(attr_name, attr_value, escape=escape)
 
         return True
 
+    def _rewrite_head(self, start_end):
+        # special case: head tag
+
+        # if no insert or in context, no rewrite
+        if not self.head_insert or self._wb_parse_context:
+            return False
+
+        self.out.write('>')
+        self.out.write(self.head_insert)
+        self.head_insert = None
+
+        if start_end:
+            self.out.write('</head>')
+
+        return True
+
+
+    def _write_attr(self, name, value, escape=False):
+        # parser doesn't differentiate between 'attr=""' and just 'attr'
+        # 'attr=""' is more common, so use that form
+        if value:
+            if escape:
+                value = cgi.escape(value, quote=True)
+            self.out.write(' ' + name + '="' + value + '"')
+        else:
+            self.out.write(' ' + name + '=""')
+
     def parse_data(self, data):
         if self._wb_parse_context == 'script':
             data = self._rewrite_script(data)
@@ -204,18 +219,35 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
         if not self.out:
             self.out = self.AccumBuff()
 
-        try:
-            self.feed(string)
-        except HTMLParseError:
-            self.out.write(string)
+        self.feed(string)
 
-        result = self.out.buff
+        result = self.out.getvalue()
         # Clear buffer to create new one for next rewrite()
         self.out = None
 
         return result
 
+
+#=================================================================
+class HTMLRewriter(HTMLRewriterMixin, HTMLParser):
+    def __init__(self, url_rewriter,
+                 head_insert=None,
+                 js_rewriter_class=JSRewriter,
+                 css_rewriter_class=CSSRewriter):
+
+        HTMLParser.__init__(self)
+        super(HTMLRewriter, self).__init__(url_rewriter,
+                                           head_insert,
+                                           js_rewriter_class,
+                                           css_rewriter_class)
+
     # HTMLParser overrides below
+    def feed(self, string):
+        try:
+            HTMLParser.feed(self, string)
+        except HTMLParseError:
+            self.out.write(string)
+
     def close(self):
         if (self._wb_parse_context):
             end_tag = '</' + self._wb_parse_context + '>'
@@ -238,12 +270,17 @@ class HTMLRewriter(HTMLParser):
         return s
 
     def handle_starttag(self, tag, attrs):
-        if not self.rewrite_tag_attrs(tag, attrs, False):
+        if not self._rewrite_tag_attrs(tag, attrs):
             self.out.write(self.get_starttag_text())
+        elif tag != 'head' or not self._rewrite_head(False):
+            self.out.write('>')
 
     def handle_startendtag(self, tag, attrs):
-        if not self.rewrite_tag_attrs(tag, attrs, True):
+        if not self._rewrite_tag_attrs(tag, attrs):
             self.out.write(self.get_starttag_text())
+        elif tag != 'head' or not self._rewrite_head(True):
+            self.out.write('/>')
+
 
     def handle_endtag(self, tag):
         if (tag == self._wb_parse_context):
diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/lxml_parser.py b/pywb/rewrite/lxml_parser.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3fb3c1fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/lxml_parser.py
@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import lxml.html
+import lxml.etree
+import cgi
+
+from regex_rewriters import JSRewriter, CSSRewriter
+from url_rewriter import UrlRewriter
+from html_rewriter import HTMLRewriterMixin
+from StringIO import StringIO
+
+
+class LXMLHTMLRewriter(HTMLRewriterMixin):
+    r"""
+    >>> parse('<HTML><A Href="page.html">Text</a></hTmL>')
+    <html><body><a href="/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/page.html">Text</a></body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<body x="y"><img src="../img.gif"/><br/></body>')
+    <html><body x="y"><img src="/web/20131226101010im_/http://example.com/some/img.gif"/><br/></body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<body x="y"><img src="/img.gif"/><br/></body>')
+    <html><body x="y"><img src="/web/20131226101010im_/http://example.com/img.gif"/><br/></body></html>
+
+    # malformed html -- "selected" attrib dropped
+    >>> parse('<input "selected"><img src></div>')
+    <html><body><input/><img src=""/></body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<html><head><base href="http://example.com/some/path/index.html"/>')
+    <html><head><base href="/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/index.html"/></head></html>
+
+    # Don't rewrite anchors
+    >>> parse('<HTML><A Href="#abc">Text</a></hTmL>')
+    <html><body><a href="#abc">Text</a></body></html>
+
+    # Ensure attr values are not unescaped
+    >>> parse('<p data-value="&quot;X&quot;">data</p>')
+    <html><body><p data-value="&quot;X&quot;">data</p></body></html>
+
+    # text moved out of input
+    >>> parse('<input value="val">data</input>')
+    <html><body><input value="val"/>data</body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<script src="abc.js"></script>')
+    <html><head><script src="/web/20131226101010js_/http://example.com/some/path/abc.js"></script></head></html>
+
+    # Unicode
+    >>> parse('<a href="http://испытание.испытание/">испытание</a>')
+    <html><body><a href="/web/20131226101010/http://испытание.испытание/">испытание</a></body></html>
+
+    # Meta tag
+    >>> parse('<META http-equiv="refresh" content="10; URL=/abc/def.html">')
+    <html><head><meta content="10; URL=/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/abc/def.html" http-equiv="refresh"/></head></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />')
+    <html><head><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-type"/></head></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<META http-equiv="refresh" content>')
+    <html><head><meta content="" http-equiv="refresh"/></head></html>
+
+    # Script tag
+    >>> parse('<script>window.location = "http://example.com/a/b/c.html"</script>')
+    <html><head><script>window.WB_wombat_location = "/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/a/b/c.html"</script></head></html>
+
+    # Unterminated script tag, will auto-terminate
+    >>> parse('<script>window.location = "http://example.com/a/b/c.html"</sc>')
+    <html><head><script>window.WB_wombat_location = "/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/a/b/c.html"</sc></script></head></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<script>/*<![CDATA[*/window.location = "http://example.com/a/b/c.html;/*]]>*/"</script>')
+    <html><head><script>/*<![CDATA[*/window.WB_wombat_location = "/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/a/b/c.html;/*]]>*/"</script></head></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<div style="background: url(\'abc.html\')" onblah onclick="location = \'redirect.html\'"></div>')
+    <html><body><div style="background: url('/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/abc.html')" onblah="" onclick="WB_wombat_location = 'redirect.html'"/></body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<style>@import "styles.css" .a { font-face: url(\'myfont.ttf\') }</style>')
+    <html><head><style>@import "/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/styles.css" .a { font-face: url('/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/myfont.ttf') }</style></head></html>
+
+    # Unterminated style tag, handle but don't auto-terminate
+    >>> parse('<style>@import url(styles.css)')
+    <html><head><style>@import url(/web/20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/styles.css)</style></head></html>
+
+    # Head Insertion
+    >>> parse('<html><head><script src="other.js"></script></head><body>Test</body></html>', head_insert = '<script src="cool.js"></script>')
+    <html><head><script src="cool.js"></script><script src="/web/20131226101010js_/http://example.com/some/path/other.js"></script></head><body>Test</body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<html><head/><body>Test</body></html>', head_insert = '<script src="cool.js"></script>')
+    <html><head><script src="cool.js"></script></head><body>Test</body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<body><div>SomeTest</div>', head_insert = '/* Insert */')
+    <html>/* Insert */<body><div>SomeTest</div></body></html>
+
+    >>> parse('<link href="abc.txt"><div>SomeTest</div>', head_insert = '<script>load_stuff();</script>')
+    <html><head><script>load_stuff();</script><link href="/web/20131226101010oe_/http://example.com/some/path/abc.txt"/></head><body><div>SomeTest</div></body></html>
+
+
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, url_rewriter,
+                 head_insert=None,
+                 js_rewriter_class=JSRewriter,
+                 css_rewriter_class=CSSRewriter):
+
+        super(LXMLHTMLRewriter, self).__init__(url_rewriter,
+                                               head_insert,
+                                               js_rewriter_class,
+                                               css_rewriter_class)
+
+
+        self.target = RewriterTarget(self)
+        self.parser = lxml.etree.HTMLParser(remove_pis=False,
+                                            remove_blank_text=False,
+                                            remove_comments=False,
+                                            strip_cdata=False,
+                                            compact=True,
+                                            target=self.target,
+                                            #encoding='utf-8'
+                                            )
+
+
+    def feed(self, string):
+        self.parser.feed(string)
+
+    def close(self):
+        if not self.out:
+            self.out = self.AccumBuff()
+
+        self.parser.close()
+
+        result = self.out.getvalue()
+        # Clear buffer to create new one for next rewrite()
+        self.out = None
+
+        return result
+
+
+class RewriterTarget(object):
+    def __init__(self, rewriter):
+        self.rewriter = rewriter
+        self.curr_tag = None
+
+    def _close_tag(self):
+        if self.curr_tag:
+            self.rewriter.out.write('>')
+            self.curr_tag = None
+
+    def start(self, tag, attrs):
+        self._close_tag()
+        attrs = attrs.items()
+
+        self.curr_tag = tag
+
+        if self.rewriter._rewrite_tag_attrs(tag, attrs, escape=True):
+            if tag == 'head' and self.rewriter._rewrite_head(False):
+                self.curr_tag = None
+            return
+
+        self.rewriter.out.write('<' + tag)
+
+        for name, value in attrs:
+            self.rewriter._write_attr(name, value, escape=True)
+
+
+    def end(self, tag):
+        if (tag == self.rewriter._wb_parse_context):
+            self.rewriter._wb_parse_context = None
+
+        if (self.curr_tag == tag) and (tag != 'script'):
+            self.rewriter.out.write('/>')
+            self.curr_tag = None
+        else:
+            self._close_tag()
+            self.rewriter.out.write('</' + tag + '>')
+
+    def data(self, data):
+        self._close_tag()
+
+        if not self.rewriter._wb_parse_context:
+            data = cgi.escape(data, quote=True)
+
+        self.rewriter.parse_data(data)
+
+    def comment(self, text):
+        self._close_tag()
+
+        self.rewriter.out.write('<!--')
+        self.rewriter.parse_data(text)
+        self.rewriter.out.write('-->')
+
+    def close(self):
+        self._close_tag()
+        return ''
+
+urlrewriter = UrlRewriter('20131226101010/http://example.com/some/path/index.html', '/web/')
+
+def parse(data, head_insert=None):
+    parser = LXMLHTMLRewriter(urlrewriter, head_insert=head_insert)
+    print parser.rewrite(data) + parser.close()
+    #return parser.rewrite(data) + parser.close()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    import sys
+    if len(sys.argv) == 1:
+        import doctest
+        doctest.testmod()
+    else:
+        parser = LXMLHTMLRewriter(urlrewriter)
+        x = open(sys.argv[1])
+        b = x.read()
+        while b:
+            print parser.rewrite(b)
+            b = x.read()
+        print parser.close()
diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/rewriterules.py b/pywb/rewrite/rewriterules.py
index e9d124c5..ac52773d 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/rewriterules.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/rewriterules.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from pywb.utils.dsrules import BaseRule
 from regex_rewriters import RegexRewriter, CSSRewriter, XMLRewriter
 from regex_rewriters import JSLinkAndLocationRewriter, JSLinkOnlyRewriter
 from html_rewriter import HTMLRewriter
+from lxml_parser import LXMLHTMLRewriter
 from header_rewriter import HeaderRewriter
 
 import itertools
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@ class RewriteRules(BaseRule):
         self.rewriters['header'] = config.get('header_class', HeaderRewriter)
         self.rewriters['css'] = config.get('css_class', CSSRewriter)
         self.rewriters['xml'] = config.get('xml_class', XMLRewriter)
-        self.rewriters['html'] = config.get('html_class', HTMLRewriter)
+        self.rewriters['html'] = config.get('html_class', LXMLHTMLRewriter)
+        #self.rewriters['html'] = config.get('html_class', HTMLRewriter)
 
         # Custom handling for js rewriting, often the most complex
         self.js_rewrite_location = config.get('js_rewrite_location', True)
diff --git a/pywb/rewrite/test/test_rewrite.py b/pywb/rewrite/test/test_rewrite.py
index 7164b81f..423490b1 100644
--- a/pywb/rewrite/test/test_rewrite.py
+++ b/pywb/rewrite/test/test_rewrite.py
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ r"""
 >>> parse('<html><head><script src="other.js"></script></head><body>Test</body></html>', head_insert = '<script src="cool.js"></script>')
 <html><head><script src="cool.js"></script><script src="/web/20131226101010js_/http://example.com/some/path/other.js"></script></head><body>Test</body></html>
 
+>>> parse('<html><head/><body>Test</body></html>', head_insert = '<script src="cool.js"></script>')
+<html><head><script src="cool.js"></script></head><body>Test</body></html>
+
 >>> parse('<body><div>SomeTest</div>', head_insert = '/* Insert */')
 /* Insert */<body><div>SomeTest</div>