diff --git a/_test/PageLayoutTest.php b/_test/PageLayoutTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88f9afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/PageLayoutTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,442 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace dokuwiki\plugin\dw2pdf\test;
+
+use dokuwiki\plugin\dw2pdf\src\BookCreatorLiveSelectionCollector;
+use dokuwiki\plugin\dw2pdf\src\Cache;
+use dokuwiki\plugin\dw2pdf\src\Config;
+use dokuwiki\plugin\dw2pdf\src\PdfExportService;
+use Mpdf\Mpdf;
+use Mpdf\Output\Destination;
+use TestUtils;
+
+/**
+ * Tests how the structural parts of an export are laid out on pages
+ *
+ * Cover page, table of contents, content pages and back page each claim their own pages, and
+ * every page carries the header and footer of the template variant that applies to it. Which
+ * combination produces which page is decided by the interplay of the template files, the ToC
+ * setting and double-sided output, so the combinations are checked as a matrix.
+ *
+ * What ends up on which page is read from the finished mPDF instance rather than from the PDF it
+ * wrote. Text in a PDF is encoded against the embedded font subsets and no longer says which
+ * template it came from, while mPDF still holds the composition of the document in a handful of
+ * plain arrays. The helpers at the bottom read those arrays and explain them where they use them.
+ *
+ * One trait of mPDF matters throughout: a table of contents can only be built once every page it
+ * refers to exists, so mPDF appends it to the otherwise finished document and then moves that
+ * block of pages to where the writer had marked it. It renumbers the arrays below along with the
+ * move, so they describe the document as it is delivered, not as it was written.
+ *
+ * The fixture templates in _test/tpl are named after what they provide: the layout part of the
+ * name lists their header and footer files, the suffix their cover and back page.
+ *
+ * @group plugin_dw2pdf
+ * @group plugins
+ */
+class PageLayoutTest extends \DokuWikiTest
+{
+    protected $pluginsEnabled = ['dw2pdf'];
+
+    /** @var string[] The pages exported by every test case, each filling exactly one PDF page */
+    protected const PAGES = ['one', 'two'];
+
+    /** @var string Prefix of the links the fixtures place in their content, to recognize pages by */
+    protected const MARKER = 'http://dw2pdf.test/';
+
+    /** @var string[] Absolute paths of the fixture templates while they are installed */
+    protected static array $templates = [];
+
+    /**
+     * Provide the fixture templates and pages
+     *
+     * Both are the same for every test case, and neither the template directory nor the wiki
+     * data directory is reset between the tests of a class.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public static function setUpBeforeClass(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUpBeforeClass();
+
+        // templates are always resolved relative to the plugin, so the fixtures have to live there
+        foreach (glob(__DIR__ . '/tpl/*', GLOB_ONLYDIR) as $source) {
+            $target = DOKU_PLUGIN . 'dw2pdf/tpl/' . basename($source);
+            if (is_dir($target)) {
+                throw new \RuntimeException("fixture template $target would overwrite a real template");
+            }
+
+            TestUtils::rcopy(DOKU_PLUGIN . 'dw2pdf/tpl', $source);
+            self::$templates[] = $target;
+        }
+
+        foreach (self::PAGES as $page) {
+            saveWikiText($page, file_get_contents(__DIR__ . '/pages/' . $page . '.txt'), 'dw2pdf layout test');
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Remove the fixture templates from the plugin again
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public static function tearDownAfterClass(): void
+    {
+        foreach (self::$templates as $target) {
+            TestUtils::rdelete($target);
+        }
+        self::$templates = [];
+
+        parent::tearDownAfterClass();
+    }
+
+    public function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+        $_REQUEST = [];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Templates and ToC settings, with the content each page of their export should hold
+     *
+     * Each case is the fixture template to export with, the configuration to export under, and
+     * one entry per expected page. An empty entry is a page left blank.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function providePaging(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'nothing' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare', [],
+                ['one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'cover' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_cover', [],
+                ['cover', 'one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_back', [],
+                ['one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+            'cover and back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_coverback', [],
+                ['cover', 'one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+            'toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare', ['toc' => 1],
+                ['toc', 'one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'toc and cover' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_cover', ['toc' => 1],
+                ['cover', 'toc', 'one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'toc and back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_back', ['toc' => 1],
+                ['toc', 'one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+            'toc, cover and back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_coverback', ['toc' => 1],
+                ['cover', 'toc', 'one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+
+            // the ToC starts on an odd page and is padded to an even number of pages, so that the
+            // content behind it starts on an odd page again - both can leave a page blank
+            'double-sided nothing' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                ['one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided cover' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_cover', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                ['cover', 'one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_back', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                ['one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided cover and back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_coverback', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                ['cover', 'one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                ['toc', 'toc', 'one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided toc and cover' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_cover', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                ['cover', '', 'toc', 'toc', 'one', 'two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided toc and back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_back', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                ['toc', 'toc', 'one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided toc, cover and back' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_coverback', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                ['cover', '', 'toc', 'toc', 'one', 'two', 'back'],
+            ],
+        ];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Cover page, ToC, content pages and back page each occupy the pages they are supposed to
+     *
+     * No page may be inserted beyond those, in particular no blank one apart from the padding a
+     * double-sided document needs to keep the ToC and the content on odd pages.
+     *
+     * @dataProvider providePaging
+     * @param string $template The fixture template to export with
+     * @param array $conf Plugin configuration overrides
+     * @param string[] $pages The expected content of each page
+     */
+    public function testPaging(string $template, array $conf, array $pages): void
+    {
+        $mpdf = $this->export($template, $conf);
+
+        $this->assertSame($pages, $this->pageContents($mpdf));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Templates and ToC settings, with the header and footer each page of their export should get
+     *
+     * Each case is the fixture template to export with, the configuration to export under, one
+     * entry per expected page, and one entry per expected header and footer.
+     *
+     * A template may provide a single header for all pages, dedicated ones for odd and even
+     * pages, and a dedicated one for the first page. A missing variant falls back to the
+     * unsuffixed file, and a template without any header file leaves its pages without one. The
+     * fixture footers repeat their header, so both are expected to come out the same.
+     *
+     * Odd and even variants only alternate in double-sided documents, single-sided documents use
+     * the odd variant throughout. Which page the first-page variant lands on depends on whether
+     * the export has a cover page, which is why the cover page and ToC are varied here as well.
+     *
+     * The placeholders show the context a header was built from: cover page, ToC and back page
+     * belong to the export as a whole and use the first exported page, while content pages use
+     * their own.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function provideHeaderFooter(): array
+    {
+        // a cover page and a ToC shift everything behind them, so the pages are named once here
+        $contentOnly = ['one', 'two'];
+        $withStructure = ['cover', 'toc', 'one', 'two', 'back'];
+        $withStructureDouble = ['cover', '', 'toc', 'toc', 'one', 'two', 'back'];
+
+        return [
+            'no header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare', [],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['', ''],
+            ],
+            'no header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_coverback', ['toc' => 1],
+                $withStructure,
+                ['', '', '', '', ''],
+            ],
+            'single header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_plain', [],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['O any one', 'O any two'],
+            ],
+            'single header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_plain_coverback', ['toc' => 1],
+                $withStructure,
+                ['O any one', 'O any one', 'O any one', 'O any two', 'O any one'],
+            ],
+            'odd and even header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_oddeven', [],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['O odd one', 'O odd two'],
+            ],
+            'odd and even header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback', ['toc' => 1],
+                $withStructure,
+                ['O odd one', 'O odd one', 'O odd one', 'O odd two', 'O odd one'],
+            ],
+            'first page header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_first', [],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['O first one', 'O any two'],
+            ],
+            'first page header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_first_coverback', ['toc' => 1],
+                $withStructure,
+                ['O first one', 'O any one', 'O any one', 'O any two', 'O any one'],
+            ],
+
+            'double-sided no header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['', ''],
+            ],
+            'double-sided no header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_bare_coverback', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                $withStructureDouble,
+                ['', '', '', '', '', '', ''],
+            ],
+            'double-sided single header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_plain', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['O any one', 'E any two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided single header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_plain_coverback', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                $withStructureDouble,
+                ['O any one', 'E any one', 'O any one', 'E any one', 'O any one', 'E any two', 'O any one'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided odd and even header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_oddeven', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['O odd one', 'E even two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided odd and even header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                $withStructureDouble,
+                ['O odd one', 'E even one', 'O odd one', 'E even one', 'O odd one', 'E even two', 'O odd one'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided first page header and footer' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_first', ['doublesided' => 1],
+                $contentOnly,
+                ['O first one', 'E any two'],
+            ],
+            'double-sided first page header and footer, cover and toc' => [
+                'dw2pdftest_first_coverback', ['toc' => 1, 'doublesided' => 1],
+                $withStructureDouble,
+                ['O first one', 'E any one', 'O any one', 'E any one', 'O any one', 'E any two', 'O any one'],
+            ],
+        ];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Every page carries the header and footer of the template variant that applies to it
+     *
+     * @dataProvider provideHeaderFooter
+     * @param string $template The fixture template to export with
+     * @param array $conf Plugin configuration overrides
+     * @param string[] $pages The expected content of each page
+     * @param string[] $blocks The expected header and footer of each page
+     */
+    public function testHeaderFooter(string $template, array $conf, array $pages, array $blocks): void
+    {
+        $mpdf = $this->export($template, $conf);
+
+        $this->assertSame($pages, $this->pageContents($mpdf), 'page order');
+        $this->assertSame($blocks, $this->pageBlocks($mpdf, 'header'), 'headers');
+        $this->assertSame($blocks, $this->pageBlocks($mpdf, 'footer'), 'footers');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Export the fixture pages and return the mPDF instance of the finished document
+     *
+     * The export service composes the document and then has mPDF output it. Both steps are taken
+     * separately here, so that the instance in between can be picked up.
+     *
+     * @param string $template The template to export with
+     * @param array $conf Plugin configuration overrides
+     * @return Mpdf The instance the document was written with, after it has been closed
+     */
+    protected function export(string $template, array $conf): Mpdf
+    {
+        $config = new Config(array_merge($conf, [
+            'template' => $template,
+            'usecache' => 0,
+            'liveselection' => json_encode(self::PAGES),
+        ]));
+        $collector = new BookCreatorLiveSelectionCollector($config);
+        $cache = new Cache($config, $collector);
+
+        $service = new PdfExportService($config, $collector, $cache, 'Contents');
+        $writer = $this->callInaccessibleMethod($service, 'renderDocument', []);
+        $mpdf = $this->getInaccessibleProperty($writer, 'mpdf');
+
+        // composing the document leaves the ToC unfinished, mPDF only assembles it and moves it
+        // into place while outputting. Nothing here needs the resulting PDF, so it is asked for
+        // as a string and dropped rather than written anywhere.
+        $mpdf->Output('', Destination::STRING_RETURN);
+
+        return $mpdf;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Determine what each page of the finished document holds
+     *
+     * Two of mPDF's arrays are read for this.
+     *
+     * $pgsIns records the ToC pages that were moved into place, as the first page of the moved
+     * block mapped to the number of pages it spans. A two page ToC now sitting on pages 3 and 4
+     * is therefore [3 => 2]. This is the only way to tell the second page of a padded ToC from a
+     * blank page, as an empty ToC page holds nothing that could be recognized otherwise.
+     *
+     * $PageLinks holds the links of every page, keyed by page number. A single link is a
+     * positional array whose index 4 is the target: the URL for a link leaving the document, or
+     * an '@' followed by a page number for one pointing inside it. Every fixture this test
+     * exports - cover page, back page and both wiki pages - contains a link to a MARKER URL of
+     * its own, so such a target names the fixture that was rendered onto that page.
+     *
+     * A page that is neither part of the ToC nor holds a marker link was left blank.
+     *
+     * @param Mpdf $mpdf The instance of a finished document
+     * @return string[] One entry per page: the marker of its content, 'toc', or '' when blank
+     */
+    protected function pageContents(Mpdf $mpdf): array
+    {
+        // pages are numbered from 1, and $mpdf->page is the number the document ended up with
+        $contents = array_fill(1, $mpdf->page, '');
+
+        foreach ($mpdf->pgsIns as $start => $length) {
+            for ($page = $start; $page < $start + $length; $page++) {
+                $contents[$page] = 'toc';
+            }
+        }
+
+        foreach ($mpdf->PageLinks as $page => $links) {
+            foreach ($links as $link) {
+                // links pointing inside the document are of no interest here
+                if (!str_starts_with((string)$link[4], self::MARKER)) continue;
+                $contents[$page] = substr($link[4], strlen(self::MARKER));
+            }
+        }
+
+        return array_values($contents);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Determine the header or footer each page of the finished document was rendered with
+     *
+     * A page's header and footer are not written when its content is. mPDF stamps them in once
+     * the document is output and until then only notes, per page, which block is to be used.
+     * $saveHTMLHeader and $saveHTMLFooter hold those notes, keyed by page number and below that
+     * by the side the block was picked for: 'O' for odd pages, 'E' for even ones. Only one side
+     * is ever noted for a page, and a single-sided document only ever uses 'O'.
+     *
+     * The 'html' of such a note is the block as it will be rendered, with its placeholders
+     * already replaced. The writer redefines the named blocks before every page break, so the
+     * note holds the state they were in when that page began. Since the fixture templates name
+     * themselves and carry the @ID@ placeholder, the returned strings show all three things that
+     * can go wrong: the side, the template variant that applied, and the page context its
+     * placeholders were resolved against.
+     *
+     * @param Mpdf $mpdf The instance of a finished document
+     * @param string $type Either 'header' or 'footer'
+     * @return string[] One entry per page, '' for pages without one
+     */
+    protected function pageBlocks(Mpdf $mpdf, string $type): array
+    {
+        $applied = $type === 'header' ? $mpdf->saveHTMLHeader : $mpdf->saveHTMLFooter;
+        $blocks = array_fill(1, $mpdf->page, '');
+
+        foreach ($applied as $page => $sides) {
+            // to lay out the ToC of a double-sided document, mPDF works on a scratch page that it
+            // drops again afterwards - only its note stays behind, past the end of the document
+            if ($page > $mpdf->page) continue;
+
+            foreach ($sides as $side => $block) {
+                $html = trim($block['html'] ?? '');
+                if ($html !== '') $blocks[$page] = $side . ' ' . $html;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return array_values($blocks);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/_test/pages/one.txt b/_test/pages/one.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd850a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/pages/one.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+====== Page One ======
+
+The first exported page. [[http://dw2pdf.test/one|marker]]
diff --git a/_test/pages/two.txt b/_test/pages/two.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1a4b1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/pages/two.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+====== Page Two ======
+
+The second exported page. [[http://dw2pdf.test/two|marker]]
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare/README.txt b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare/README.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40afec8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare/README.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Template fixture providing neither cover page, back page, header nor footer.
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_back/back.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_back/back.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd82710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_back/back.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="back">Back page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/back">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_cover/cover.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_cover/cover.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94564a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_cover/cover.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="cover">Cover page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/cover">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_coverback/back.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_coverback/back.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd82710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_coverback/back.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="back">Back page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/back">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_coverback/cover.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_coverback/cover.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94564a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_bare_coverback/cover.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="cover">Cover page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/cover">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/footer.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/footer.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/footer.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/footer_first.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/footer_first.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6095dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/footer_first.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+first @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/header.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/header.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/header.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/header_first.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/header_first.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6095dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first/header_first.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+first @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/back.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/back.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd82710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/back.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="back">Back page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/back">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/cover.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/cover.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94564a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/cover.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="cover">Cover page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/cover">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/footer.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/footer.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/footer.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/footer_first.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/footer_first.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6095dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/footer_first.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+first @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/header.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/header.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/header.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/header_first.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/header_first.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6095dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_first_coverback/header_first.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+first @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/footer_even.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/footer_even.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..733f9cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/footer_even.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+even @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/footer_odd.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/footer_odd.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec37530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/footer_odd.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+odd @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/header_even.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/header_even.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..733f9cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/header_even.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+even @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/header_odd.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/header_odd.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec37530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven/header_odd.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+odd @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/back.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/back.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd82710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/back.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="back">Back page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/back">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/cover.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/cover.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94564a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/cover.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="cover">Cover page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/cover">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/footer_even.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/footer_even.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..733f9cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/footer_even.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+even @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/footer_odd.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/footer_odd.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec37530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/footer_odd.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+odd @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/header_even.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/header_even.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..733f9cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/header_even.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+even @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/header_odd.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/header_odd.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec37530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_oddeven_coverback/header_odd.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+odd @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain/footer.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain/footer.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain/footer.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain/header.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain/header.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain/header.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/back.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/back.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd82710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/back.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="back">Back page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/back">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/cover.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/cover.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94564a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/cover.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div class="cover">Cover page <a href="http://dw2pdf.test/cover">marker</a></div>
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/footer.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/footer.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/footer.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/header.html b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/header.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef00bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_test/tpl/dw2pdftest_plain_coverback/header.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+any @ID@
diff --git a/src/Writer.php b/src/Writer.php
index 36eb732..3e03113 100644
--- a/src/Writer.php
+++ b/src/Writer.php
@@ -252,6 +252,9 @@ public function toc(string $header): void
             'pagenumstyle' => '1'
         ]);
 
+        // <tocpagebreak> starts a new page by itself, so consume any pending break instead of
+        // emitting a second one - that would leave a blank page between the ToC and the first page.
+        $this->breakBeforeNext = false;
         $this->write('<tocpagebreak>', HTMLParserMode::HTML_BODY, false, false);
     }