Setting (setq org-html-doctype "html4-strict") and exporting a trivial Org document (like the attached) to HTML fails to pass validation at https://validator.w3.org/ The error is Line 6, Column 72: character data is not allowed here ....using XHTML-style self-closing tags (such as ) in HTML 4.01 or earlier. To fix, remove the extra slash ('/') character. For more information about the reasons for this, see Empty elements in SGML, HTML, XML, and XHTML. caused by /> self-closing tag. However, dropping /> will lead to validation failing for the default value of `org-html-doctype' - "xhtml-strict". I am wondering whether it is at all possible to use the same syntax and yet pass validation for all the allowed values of `org-html-doctype': "html4-strict", "html4-transitional", "html4-frameset", "xhtml-strict", "xhtml-transitional", "xhtml-frameset", "xhtml-11", "html5", "xhtml5".