Index: sp-text.cpp
===================================================================
--- sp-text.cpp	(revision 19210)
+++ sp-text.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@
             Glib::ustring const &string = SP_STRING(child)->string;
             layout.appendText(string, root->style, child, &optional_attrs, child_attrs_offset + length);
             length += string.length();
-        } else {
+        } else if (!sp_repr_is_meta_element(child->repr)) {
             length += _buildLayoutInput(child, optional_attrs, child_attrs_offset + length, in_textpath);
         }
     }
Index: sp-flowtext.cpp
===================================================================
--- sp-flowtext.cpp	(revision 19210)
+++ sp-flowtext.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@
                 layout.appendWrapShape(&shapes->back());
             }
         }
-        else if (!SP_IS_FLOWREGIONEXCLUDE(child))
+        else if (!SP_IS_FLOWREGIONEXCLUDE(child) && !sp_repr_is_meta_element(child->repr))
             _buildLayoutInput(child, exclusion_shape, shapes, pending_line_break_object);
     }