diff --git a/bleach/__init__.py b/bleach/__init__.py
index 3e7fe411..7d43a37d 100644
--- a/bleach/__init__.py
+++ b/bleach/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import logging
 import re
 
 import html5lib
@@ -5,6 +6,8 @@
 from sanitizer import BleachSanitizer
 from encoding import force_unicode
 
+log = logging.getLogger('bleach')
+
 ALLOWED_TAGS = [
     'a',
     'abbr',
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ class s(BleachSanitizer):
 
         parser = html5lib.HTMLParser(tokenizer=s)
 
-        return force_unicode(_serialize(parser.parseFragment(string))).strip()
+        return render(parser.parseFragment(string), string).strip()
 
     def linkify(self, text, nofollow=True):
         """Convert URL-like strings in an HTML fragment to links.
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ def link_repl(match):
 
         linkify_nodes(forest)
 
-        return force_unicode(_serialize(forest))
+        return render(forest, text)
 
     def filter_url(self, url):
         """Applied to the href attribute of an autolinked URL"""
@@ -152,6 +155,19 @@ def filter_text(self, url):
         return url
 
 
+def render(tree, source):
+    """Try rendering as HTML, then XML, then give up."""
+    try:
+        return force_unicode(_serialize(tree))
+    except Exception, e:
+        log.error('HTML: %r ::: %r' % (e, source))
+        try:
+            return force_unicode(tree.to_xml())
+        except Exception, e:
+            log.error('XML: %r ::: %r' % (e, source))
+            return u''
+
+
 def _serialize(domtree):
     walker = html5lib.treewalkers.getTreeWalker('simpletree')
     stream = walker(domtree)
diff --git a/bleach/tests/test_basics.py b/bleach/tests/test_basics.py
index a329c23a..e4d50a46 100644
--- a/bleach/tests/test_basics.py
+++ b/bleach/tests/test_basics.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import html5lib
+
 from nose.tools import eq_
 
-from bleach import Bleach
+from bleach import Bleach, render
 
 b = Bleach()
 
@@ -84,3 +86,8 @@ def test_serializer():
 def test_no_href_links():
     s = u'<a name="anchor">x</a>'
     eq_(s, b.linkify(s, nofollow=False))
+
+
+def test_xml_render():
+    parser = html5lib.HTMLParser()
+    eq_(render(parser.parseFragment(''), 'src'), '')