--- ezodf/document.py.orig	2019-11-27 14:39:15.000000000 -0500
+++ ezodf/document.py	2019-11-27 14:39:42.000000000 -0500
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
         fm = ByteStreamManager(filename)
     else:
         try:
-            xmlnode = etree.parse(filename)
+            xmlnode = etree.parse(filename).getroot()
             return FlatXMLDocument(filename=filename, xmlnode=xmlnode)
         except etree.ParseError:
             raise IOError("File '%s' is neither a zip-package nor a flat " \