diff --git a/odf2legi/odf2legi.py b/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
index feef1ef..81751a8 100644
--- a/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
+++ b/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
@@ -265,7 +265,11 @@ def fill_inline(para, elem, invert_bg=False):
                 para.getchildren()[-1].tail = ''
             para.getchildren()[-1].tail += elem.text.strip('\n')
         else:
-            para.text = elem.text.strip('\n')
+            if para.text:
+                orig = para.text
+            else:
+                orig = ''
+            para.text = orig + elem.text.strip('\n')
 
     for child in elem.getchildren():
         if child.tag == '{%s}span' % TEXT_NS and child.getchildren():
diff --git a/odf2legi/tests.py b/odf2legi/tests.py
index bc78370..6c4124b 100644
--- a/odf2legi/tests.py
+++ b/odf2legi/tests.py
@@ -164,6 +164,26 @@ Plop <text:a>foobar@example.net</text:a> plop
 </text:p>'''
         self.assertEqual(self.convert_to_legi(doc), '''<para>Plop foobar@example.net plop\n</para>''')
 
+    def test_inline_many_spans(self):
+        doc = '''\
+<text:p xmlns:office="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:office:1.0"
+  xmlns:style="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:style:1.0"
+  xmlns:text="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:text:1.0">
+<text:span>Plop</text:span> <text:span>plop</text:span> <text:span>plop</text:span>\
+</text:p>'''
+        self.assertEqual(self.convert_to_legi(doc), '''<para>Plop plop plop</para>''')
+
+    def test_inline_many_spans_s(self):
+        # appears in https://dev.entrouvert.org/issues/5978
+        doc = '''\
+<text:p xmlns:office="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:office:1.0"
+  xmlns:style="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:style:1.0"
+  xmlns:text="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:text:1.0">
+<text:span>Plop</text:span> <text:span>plop <text:s/>plop</text:span> <text:span>plop</text:span>\
+</text:p>'''
+        self.assertEqual(self.convert_to_legi(doc), '''<para>Plop plop plop plop</para>''')
+
+
 
 
 class TableTestCase(unittest.TestCase):