diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp
index 941e11ba..2ddc6db6 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ bool Epub::parseContentOpf(BookMetadataCache::BookMetadata& bookMetadata) {
   // TODO: Parse author
   bookMetadata.author = "";
   bookMetadata.coverItemHref = opfParser.coverItemHref;
+  bookMetadata.textReferenceHref = opfParser.textReferenceHref;
 
   if (!opfParser.tocNcxPath.empty()) {
     tocNcxItem = opfParser.tocNcxPath;
@@ -414,6 +415,35 @@ size_t Epub::getBookSize() const {
   return getCumulativeSpineItemSize(getSpineItemsCount() - 1);
 }
 
+int Epub::getSpineIndexForTextReference() const {
+  if (!bookMetadataCache || !bookMetadataCache->isLoaded()) {
+    Serial.printf("[%lu] [EBP] getSpineIndexForTextReference called but cache not loaded\n", millis());
+    return 0;
+  }
+  Serial.printf("[%lu] [ERS] Core Metadata: cover(%d)=%s, textReference(%d)=%s\n", millis(),
+                bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.coverItemHref.size(),
+                bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.coverItemHref.c_str(),
+                bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.textReferenceHref.size(),
+                bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.textReferenceHref.c_str());
+
+  if (bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.textReferenceHref.empty()) {
+    // there was no textReference in epub, so we return 0 (the first chapter)
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  // loop through spine items to get the correct index matching the text href
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < getSpineItemsCount(); i++) {
+    if (getSpineItem(i).href == bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.textReferenceHref) {
+      Serial.printf("[%lu] [ERS] Text reference %s found at index %d\n", millis(),
+                    bookMetadataCache->coreMetadata.textReferenceHref.c_str(), i);
+      return i;
+    }
+  }
+  // This should not happen, as we checked for empty textReferenceHref earlier
+  Serial.printf("[%lu] [EBP] Section not found for text reference\n", millis());
+  return 0;
+}
+
 // Calculate progress in book
 uint8_t Epub::calculateProgress(const int currentSpineIndex, const float currentSpineRead) const {
   const size_t bookSize = getBookSize();
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub.h b/lib/Epub/Epub.h
index c7850081..178c48c6 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub.h
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class Epub {
   int getSpineIndexForTocIndex(int tocIndex) const;
   int getTocIndexForSpineIndex(int spineIndex) const;
   size_t getCumulativeSpineItemSize(int spineIndex) const;
+  int getSpineIndexForTextReference() const;
 
   size_t getBookSize() const;
   uint8_t calculateProgress(int currentSpineIndex, float currentSpineRead) const;
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.cpp
index 8fcee282..1f6a96e9 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.cpp
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ bool BookMetadataCache::buildBookBin(const std::string& epubPath, const BookMeta
 
   constexpr size_t headerASize =
       sizeof(BOOK_CACHE_VERSION) + /* LUT Offset */ sizeof(size_t) + sizeof(spineCount) + sizeof(tocCount);
-  const size_t metadataSize =
-      metadata.title.size() + metadata.author.size() + metadata.coverItemHref.size() + sizeof(uint32_t) * 3;
+  const size_t metadataSize = metadata.title.size() + metadata.author.size() + metadata.coverItemHref.size() +
+                              metadata.textReferenceHref.size() + sizeof(uint32_t) * 4;
   const size_t lutSize = sizeof(size_t) * spineCount + sizeof(size_t) * tocCount;
   const size_t lutOffset = headerASize + metadataSize;
 
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ bool BookMetadataCache::buildBookBin(const std::string& epubPath, const BookMeta
   serialization::writeString(bookFile, metadata.title);
   serialization::writeString(bookFile, metadata.author);
   serialization::writeString(bookFile, metadata.coverItemHref);
+  serialization::writeString(bookFile, metadata.textReferenceHref);
 
   // Loop through spine entries, writing LUT positions
   spineFile.seek(0);
@@ -286,6 +287,7 @@ bool BookMetadataCache::load() {
   serialization::readString(bookFile, coreMetadata.title);
   serialization::readString(bookFile, coreMetadata.author);
   serialization::readString(bookFile, coreMetadata.coverItemHref);
+  serialization::readString(bookFile, coreMetadata.textReferenceHref);
 
   loaded = true;
   Serial.printf("[%lu] [BMC] Loaded cache data: %d spine, %d TOC entries\n", millis(), spineCount, tocCount);
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.h b/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.h
index 7f9f419c..5a54cc1a 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.h
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/BookMetadataCache.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class BookMetadataCache {
     std::string title;
     std::string author;
     std::string coverItemHref;
+    std::string textReferenceHref;
   };
 
   struct SpineEntry {
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp
index 85604d2e..085bda56 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.cpp
@@ -219,19 +219,19 @@ void XMLCALL ContentOpfParser::startElement(void* userData, const XML_Char* name
     for (int i = 0; atts[i]; i += 2) {
       if (strcmp(atts[i], "type") == 0) {
         type = atts[i + 1];
-        if (type == "text") {
+        if (type == "text" || type == "start") {
           continue;
         } else {
           Serial.printf("[%lu] [COF] Skipping non-text reference in guide: %s\n", millis(), type.c_str());
           break;
         }
       } else if (strcmp(atts[i], "href") == 0) {
-        textHref = atts[i + 1];
+        textHref = self->baseContentPath + atts[i + 1];
       }
     }
-    if ((type == "text") && (textHref.length() > 0)) {
-      Serial.printf("[%lu] [COF] Found text reference in guide: %s.\n", millis(), textHref.c_str());
-      // TODO: now this has to become the chapter we display
+    if ((type == "text" || (type == "start" && !self->textReferenceHref.empty())) && (textHref.length() > 0)) {
+      Serial.printf("[%lu] [COF] Found %s reference in guide: %s.\n", millis(), type.c_str(), textHref.c_str());
+      self->textReferenceHref = textHref;
     }
     return;
   }
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.h b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.h
index 252ebee1..c7764fc2 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.h
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class ContentOpfParser final : public Print {
   std::string title;
   std::string tocNcxPath;
   std::string coverItemHref;
+  std::string textReferenceHref;
 
   explicit ContentOpfParser(const std::string& cachePath, const std::string& baseContentPath, const size_t xmlSize,
                             BookMetadataCache* cache)
diff --git a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
index 6864a563..a535240a 100644
--- a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ void EpubReaderActivity::onEnter() {
     }
     f.close();
   }
+  // TODO: Need a better condition to detect if we are opening for the first time. This will trigger if the book is
+  // re-opened at Chapter 0.
+  if (currentSpineIndex == 0) {
+    int textSpineIndex = epub->getSpineIndexForTextReference();
+    if (textSpineIndex != 0) {
+      currentSpineIndex = textSpineIndex;
+      Serial.printf("[%lu] [ERS] Opened for first time, navigating to text reference at index %d\n", millis(),
+                    textSpineIndex);
+    }
+  }
 
   // Save current epub as last opened epub
   APP_STATE.openEpubPath = epub->getPath();