diff --git a/SabreTools.Helper/Objects/Dat/DatFile.cs b/SabreTools.Helper/Objects/Dat/DatFile.cs
index 869234c5..447a7a3e 100644
--- a/SabreTools.Helper/Objects/Dat/DatFile.cs
+++ b/SabreTools.Helper/Objects/Dat/DatFile.cs
@@ -1221,6 +1221,7 @@ namespace SabreTools.Helper
 				case OutputFormat.OfflineList:
 				case OutputFormat.SabreDat:
 				case OutputFormat.SoftwareList:
+				case OutputFormat.Xml:
 					ParseXML(filename, sysid, srcid, gamename, romname, romtype, sgt, slt, seq, crc, md5, sha1, itemStatus, trim, single, root, logger, keep, clean, softlist);
 					break;
 				case OutputFormat.RedumpMD5:
@@ -1235,9 +1236,6 @@ namespace SabreTools.Helper
 				case OutputFormat.RomCenter:
 					ParseRC(filename, sysid, srcid, gamename, romname, romtype, sgt, slt, seq, crc, md5, sha1, itemStatus, trim, single, root, logger, clean);
 					break;
-				case OutputFormat.Xml:
-					ParseXMLString(filename, sysid, srcid, gamename, romname, romtype, sgt, slt, seq, crc, md5, sha1, itemStatus, trim, single, root, logger, keep, clean, softlist);
-					break;
 				default:
 					return;
 			}
@@ -2241,6 +2239,19 @@ namespace SabreTools.Helper
 				return;
 			}
 
+			// Check if the input has invalid characters. If it does, then close the reader and use the string version
+			try
+			{
+				XElement x = XElement.Load(xtr, LoadOptions.None);
+				x = null;
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				xtr.Dispose();
+				ParseXMLString(filename, sysid, srcid, gamename, romname, romtype, sgt, slt, seq, crc, md5, sha1, itemStatus, trim, single, root, logger, keep, clean, softlist);
+				return;
+			}
+
 			// Otherwise, read the file to the end
 			try
 			{