diff --git a/docling/backend/html_backend.py b/docling/backend/html_backend.py
index 66dd4a2c..3de333dc 100644
--- a/docling/backend/html_backend.py
+++ b/docling/backend/html_backend.py
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@ def convert(self) -> DoclingDocument:
 
         if self.is_valid():
             assert self.soup is not None
+            content = self.soup.body or self.soup
             # Replace <br> tags with newline characters
-            for br in self.soup.body.find_all("br"):
+            for br in content.find_all("br"):
                 br.replace_with("\n")
-            doc = self.walk(self.soup.body, doc)
+            doc = self.walk(content, doc)
         else:
             raise RuntimeError(
                 f"Cannot convert doc with {self.document_hash} because the backend failed to init."
diff --git a/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.itxt b/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.itxt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3fc541a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.itxt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+item-0 at level 0: unspecified: group _root_
+  item-1 at level 1: title: Omitted html and body tags
+    item-2 at level 2: table with [4x3]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.json b/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae311397
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.json
@@ -0,0 +1,329 @@
+{
+  "schema_name": "DoclingDocument",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "name": "example_05",
+  "origin": {
+    "mimetype": "text/html",
+    "binary_hash": 1499806583410518209,
+    "filename": "example_05.html"
+  },
+  "furniture": {
+    "self_ref": "#/furniture",
+    "children": [],
+    "name": "_root_",
+    "label": "unspecified"
+  },
+  "body": {
+    "self_ref": "#/body",
+    "children": [
+      {
+        "$ref": "#/texts/0"
+      }
+    ],
+    "name": "_root_",
+    "label": "unspecified"
+  },
+  "groups": [],
+  "texts": [
+    {
+      "self_ref": "#/texts/0",
+      "parent": {
+        "$ref": "#/body"
+      },
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/tables/0"
+        }
+      ],
+      "label": "title",
+      "prov": [],
+      "orig": "Omitted html and body tags",
+      "text": "Omitted html and body tags"
+    }
+  ],
+  "pictures": [],
+  "tables": [
+    {
+      "self_ref": "#/tables/0",
+      "parent": {
+        "$ref": "#/texts/0"
+      },
+      "children": [],
+      "label": "table",
+      "prov": [],
+      "captions": [],
+      "references": [],
+      "footnotes": [],
+      "data": {
+        "table_cells": [
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 0,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 1,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "text": "Header 1",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 2,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 0,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 1,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+            "text": "Header 2 & 3 (colspan)",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 2,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 3,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "text": "Row 1 & 2, Col 1 (rowspan)",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 2,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 2,
+            "text": "Row 1, Col 2",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 2,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 2,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+            "text": "Row 1, Col 3",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 2,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 2,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 3,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+            "text": "Row 2, Col 2 & 3 (colspan)",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 3,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 4,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "text": "Row 3, Col 1",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 3,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 4,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 2,
+            "text": "Row 3, Col 2",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          },
+          {
+            "row_span": 1,
+            "col_span": 1,
+            "start_row_offset_idx": 3,
+            "end_row_offset_idx": 4,
+            "start_col_offset_idx": 2,
+            "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+            "text": "Row 3, Col 3",
+            "column_header": false,
+            "row_header": false,
+            "row_section": false
+          }
+        ],
+        "num_rows": 4,
+        "num_cols": 3,
+        "grid": [
+          [
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "text": "Header 1",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 2,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+              "text": "Header 2 & 3 (colspan)",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 2,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+              "text": "Header 2 & 3 (colspan)",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            }
+          ],
+          [
+            {
+              "row_span": 2,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "text": "Row 1 & 2, Col 1 (rowspan)",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 2,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 2,
+              "text": "Row 1, Col 2",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 2,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 2,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+              "text": "Row 1, Col 3",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            }
+          ],
+          [
+            {
+              "row_span": 2,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "text": "Row 1 & 2, Col 1 (rowspan)",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 2,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 2,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+              "text": "Row 2, Col 2 & 3 (colspan)",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 2,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 2,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+              "text": "Row 2, Col 2 & 3 (colspan)",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            }
+          ],
+          [
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 4,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 0,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "text": "Row 3, Col 1",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 4,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 1,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 2,
+              "text": "Row 3, Col 2",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            },
+            {
+              "row_span": 1,
+              "col_span": 1,
+              "start_row_offset_idx": 3,
+              "end_row_offset_idx": 4,
+              "start_col_offset_idx": 2,
+              "end_col_offset_idx": 3,
+              "text": "Row 3, Col 3",
+              "column_header": false,
+              "row_header": false,
+              "row_section": false
+            }
+          ]
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "key_value_items": [],
+  "pages": {}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.md b/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..787f6d23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/groundtruth/docling_v2/example_05.html.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Omitted html and body tags
+
+| Header 1                   | Header 2 & 3 (colspan)     | Header 2 & 3 (colspan)     |
+|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
+| Row 1 & 2, Col 1 (rowspan) | Row 1, Col 2               | Row 1, Col 3               |
+| Row 1 & 2, Col 1 (rowspan) | Row 2, Col 2 & 3 (colspan) | Row 2, Col 2 & 3 (colspan) |
+| Row 3, Col 1               | Row 3, Col 2               | Row 3, Col 3               |
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/data/html/example_05.html b/tests/data/html/example_05.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e218ff1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/html/example_05.html
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<h1>Omitted html and body tags</h1>
+<table>
+    <tr>
+        <th>Header 1</th>
+        <th colspan="2">Header 2 & 3 (colspan)</th>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+        <td rowspan="2">Row 1 & 2, Col 1 (rowspan)</td>
+        <td>Row 1, Col 2</td>
+        <td>Row 1, Col 3</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+        <td colspan="2">Row 2, Col 2 & 3 (colspan)</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+        <td>Row 3, Col 1</td>
+        <td>Row 3, Col 2</td>
+        <td>Row 3, Col 3</td>
+    </tr>
+</table>
diff --git a/tests/test_backend_html.py b/tests/test_backend_html.py
index 3bd27242..a4deb212 100644
--- a/tests/test_backend_html.py
+++ b/tests/test_backend_html.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from docling.datamodel.base_models import InputFormat
 from docling.datamodel.document import (
     ConversionResult,
+    DoclingDocument,
     InputDocument,
     SectionHeaderItem,
 )
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ def get_html_paths():
     # Define the directory you want to search
     directory = Path("./tests/data/html/")
 
-    # List all PDF files in the directory and its subdirectories
+    # List all HTML files in the directory and its subdirectories
     html_files = sorted(directory.rglob("*.html"))
     return html_files