--- ezodf/document.py.orig	2014-01-12 21:51:08.000000000 +0100
+++ ezodf/document.py	2014-01-12 21:54:07.000000000 +0100
@@ -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 " \