diff --git a/rdf4h.cabal b/rdf4h.cabal
--- a/rdf4h.cabal
+++ b/rdf4h.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            rdf4h
-version:         1.2.2
+version:         1.2.3
 synopsis:        A library for RDF processing in Haskell
 description:     
   'RDF for Haskell' is a library for working with RDF in Haskell.
diff --git a/src/Rdf4hParseMain.hs b/src/Rdf4hParseMain.hs
--- a/src/Rdf4hParseMain.hs
+++ b/src/Rdf4hParseMain.hs
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
   do (opts, args) <- getArgs >>= compilerOpts
      when (Help `elem` opts)
       (putStrLn (usageInfo header options) >> exitSuccess)
-     when (Version `elem` opts) (putStrLn version >> exitSuccess)
      when (null args)
       (ioError
         (userError
@@ -134,7 +133,7 @@
 
 -- The commandline arguments we accept. None are required.
 data Flag
- = Help | Debug | Version
+ = Help | Debug
  | InputFormat String | InputBaseUri String
  | OutputFormat String | OutputBaseUri String
  deriving (Show)
@@ -145,13 +144,13 @@
 instance Eq Flag where
   Help            == Help            = True
   Debug           == Debug           = True
-  Version         == Version         = True
   InputFormat _   == InputFormat _   = True
   InputBaseUri _  == InputBaseUri _  = True
   OutputFormat _  == OutputFormat _  = True
   OutputBaseUri _ == OutputBaseUri _ = True
   _               == _               = False
 
+
 -- The top part of the usage output.
 header :: String
 header =
@@ -162,18 +161,10 @@
   "    Default is INPUT-URI\n"                                               ++
   "    Equivalent to -I INPUT-BASE-URI, --input-base-uri INPUT-BASE-URI\n\n"
 
--- The current version of the executable, which for the moment is the same as
--- the version for the library as a whole, as given in rdf4h.cabal.
--- TODO: should get this from cabal file rather than duplicating i here.
-version :: String
-version = "1.0.2"
-
 options :: [OptDescr Flag]
 options =
  [ Option "h"  ["help"]                           (NoArg Help)   "Display this help, then exit"
  , Option "d"  ["debug"]                         (NoArg Debug)   "Print debug info (like INPUT-BASE-URI used, etc.)"
- , Option "v"  ["version"]                     (NoArg Version)   "Show version number\n\n"
-
  , Option "i"  ["input"]        (ReqArg InputFormat  "FORMAT") $ "Set input format/parser to one of:\n" ++
                                                                    "  turtle      Turtle (default)\n" ++
                                                                    "  ntriples    N-Triples"
diff --git a/src/Text/RDF/RDF4H/XmlParser.hs b/src/Text/RDF/RDF4H/XmlParser.hs
--- a/src/Text/RDF/RDF4H/XmlParser.hs
+++ b/src/Text/RDF/RDF4H/XmlParser.hs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import Data.RDF.Types (RDF,RdfParser(..),Node(BNodeGen),BaseUrl(..),Triple(..),Triples,Subject,Predicate,Object,PrefixMappings(..),ParseFailure(ParseFailure),mkRdf,lnode,plainL,plainLL,typedL,unode,bnode)
 import qualified Data.Text as T (Text,pack,unpack)
 import qualified Data.Text.IO as TIO
-import Text.XML.HXT.Core (ArrowXml,XmlTree,IfThen((:->)),(>.),(>>.),first,neg,(<+>),expandURI,getName,getAttrValue,getAttrValue0,getAttrl,hasAttrValue,hasAttr,constA,choiceA,getChildren,ifA,arr2A,second,hasName,isElem,xshow,listA,isA,isText,getText,this,unlistA,orElse,sattr,mkelem,xreadDoc,runSLA)
+import Text.XML.HXT.Core (ArrowXml,XmlTree,IfThen((:->)),(>.),(>>.),first,neg,(<+>),expandURI,getName,getAttrValue,getAttrValue0,getAttrl,hasAttrValue,hasAttr,constA,choiceA,getChildren,ifA,arr2A,second,hasName,isElem,isWhiteSpace,xshow,listA,isA,isText,getText,this,unlistA,orElse,sattr,mkelem,xreadDoc,runSLA)
 
 -- TODO: write QuickCheck tests for XmlParser instance for RdfParser.
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@
 parsePredicatesFromChildren = updateState
     >>> choiceA
         [ second (hasAttrValue "rdf:parseType" (== "Literal")) :-> arr2A parseAsLiteralTriple
-        , second (hasAttrValue "rdf:parseType" (== "Resource")) :-> (defaultA <+> (mkBlankNode &&& arr id >>> arr2A parseAsResource))
+        , second (hasAttrValue "rdf:parseType" (== "Resource")) :-> (mkBlankNode &&& arr id >>> arr2A parseAsResource)
         , second (hasAttrValue "rdf:parseType" (== "Collection")) :-> (listA (defaultA >>> arr id &&& mkBlankNode) >>> mkCollectionTriples >>> unlistA)
         , second (hasAttr "rdf:datatype") :-> arr2A getTypedTriple
         , second (hasAttr "rdf:resource") :-> arr2A getResourceTriple
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@
 parseObjectsFromChildren :: forall a. (ArrowXml a, ArrowState GParseState a)
                          => LParseState -> Predicate -> a XmlTree Triple
 parseObjectsFromChildren s p = choiceA
-    [ isText :-> (getText >>> arr (Triple (stateSubject s) p . mkLiteralNode s))
-    , isElem :-> (hasName "rdf:Description" >>> parseObjectDescription)
+    [ isText :-> (neg( isWhiteSpace) >>> getText >>> arr (Triple (stateSubject s) p . mkLiteralNode s))
+    , isElem :-> (parseObjectDescription)
     ]
   where parseObjectDescription = proc desc -> do
                                       o <- mkNode s -< desc