1. (setq nxml-auto-insert-xml-declaration-flag t) 2. Visit the attached test.zip M Filemode Length Date Time File - ---------- -------- ----------- -------- ---------- drwx------ 0 25-May-2012 00:29:06 test/ -rwx------ 40 25-May-2012 00:29:06 test/a.xml - ---------- -------- ----------- -------- ---------- 40 2 files 3. Visit a.xml. Note the multiple XML declarations. The original file has just a single XML declaration. The second declaration is the gratuitous declaration added due to (1). Why is nxml mode tampering with an existing XML file? 4. The problem surfaces with XML files in a ZIP archive (for example ODT files) and not with standalone XML files. In GNU Emacs 24.0.97.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600) of 2012-05-17 on MARVIN Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600 Configured using: `configure --with-gcc (4.6) --no-opt --enable-checking --cflags -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/libXpm-3.5.8/include -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/libXpm-3.5.8/src -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/libpng-dev_1.4.3-1/include -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/zlib-dev_1.2.5-2/include -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/giflib-4.1.4-1/include -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/jpeg-6b-4/include -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/tiff-3.8.2-1/include -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/gnutls-3.0.9/include'