diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/OldExcelExtractor.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/OldExcelExtractor.java
index 619b12a53..f1a28479e 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/OldExcelExtractor.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/OldExcelExtractor.java
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.BOFRecord;
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.FormulaRecord;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.NumberRecord;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.OldFormulaRecord;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.OldLabelRecord;
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Cell;
 public class OldExcelExtractor {
     private RecordInputStream ris;
     private Closeable input;
+    private int biffVersion;
 
     public OldExcelExtractor(InputStream input) throws IOException {
         BufferedInputStream bstream = new BufferedInputStream(input, 8);
@@ -107,8 +110,26 @@ public class OldExcelExtractor {
      *  for these old file formats
      */
     public String getText() {
-        StringBuffer text = new StringBuffer();
+        // Work out what version we're dealing with
+        int bofSid = ris.getNextSid();
+        switch (bofSid) {
+            case BOFRecord.biff2_sid:
+                biffVersion = 2;
+                break;
+            case BOFRecord.biff3_sid:
+                biffVersion = 3;
+                break;
+            case BOFRecord.biff4_sid:
+                biffVersion = 4;
+                break;
+            case BOFRecord.biff5_sid:
+                biffVersion = 5;
+                break;
+            default:
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("File does not begin with a BOF, found sid of " + bofSid); 
+        }
 
+        StringBuffer text = new StringBuffer();
         while (ris.hasNextRecord()) {
             int sid = ris.getNextSid();
             ris.nextRecord();
@@ -136,9 +157,17 @@ public class OldExcelExtractor {
                 case OldFormulaRecord.biff2_sid:
                 case OldFormulaRecord.biff3_sid:
                 case OldFormulaRecord.biff4_sid:
-                    OldFormulaRecord fr = new OldFormulaRecord(ris);
-                    if (fr.getCachedResultType() == Cell.CELL_TYPE_NUMERIC) {
-                        handleNumericCell(text, fr.getValue());
+                    // Biff 2 and 5+ share the same SID, due to a bug...
+                    if (biffVersion == 5) {
+                        FormulaRecord fr = new FormulaRecord(ris);
+                        if (fr.getCachedResultType() == Cell.CELL_TYPE_NUMERIC) {
+                            handleNumericCell(text, fr.getValue());
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        OldFormulaRecord fr = new OldFormulaRecord(ris);
+                        if (fr.getCachedResultType() == Cell.CELL_TYPE_NUMERIC) {
+                            handleNumericCell(text, fr.getValue());
+                        }
                     }
                     break;
                 case RKRecord.sid:
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/BOFRecord.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/BOFRecord.java
index 0e415c9c0..f6a36bf7f 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/BOFRecord.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/BOFRecord.java
@@ -31,9 +31,16 @@ import org.apache.poi.util.LittleEndianOutput;
  */
 public final class BOFRecord extends StandardRecord {
     /**
-     * for BIFF8 files the BOF is 0x809.  For earlier versions it was 0x09 or 0x(biffversion)09
+     * for BIFF8 files the BOF is 0x809. For earlier versions see
+     *  {@link #biff2_sid} {@link #biff3_sid} {@link #biff4_sid} 
+     *  {@link #biff5_sid}
      */
     public final static short sid = 0x809;
+    // SIDs from earlier BIFF versions
+    public final static short biff2_sid = 0x009;
+    public final static short biff3_sid = 0x209;
+    public final static short biff4_sid = 0x409;
+    public final static short biff5_sid = 0x809;
 
     /** suggested default (0x0600 - BIFF8) */
     public final static int VERSION             = 0x0600;
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/TestOldExcelExtractor.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/TestOldExcelExtractor.java
index 1558a50e0..d3589b730 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/TestOldExcelExtractor.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/extractor/TestOldExcelExtractor.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public final class TestOldExcelExtractor extends POITestCase {
         assertContains(text, "11");
         assertContains(text, "784");
     }
-    public void DISABLEDtestSimpleExcel5() {
+    public void testSimpleExcel5() {
         for (String ver : new String[] {"5", "95"}) {
             OldExcelExtractor extractor = createExtractor("testEXCEL_"+ver+".xls");
     
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public final class TestOldExcelExtractor extends POITestCase {
 //      assertContains(text, "55,624");
 //      assertContains(text, "11,743,477");
     }
-    public void DISABLEDtestFormattedNumbersExcel5() {
+    public void testFormattedNumbersExcel5() {
         for (String ver : new String[] {"5", "95"}) {
             OldExcelExtractor extractor = createExtractor("testEXCEL_"+ver+".xls");
             String text = extractor.getText();
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ public final class TestOldExcelExtractor extends POITestCase {
             // Numbers which come from formulas
             assertContains(text, "13");
             assertContains(text, "169");
+            
+            // Formatted numbers
+            // TODO
         }
     }