diff --git a/src/markdown/doc_of_md.ml b/src/markdown/doc_of_md.ml
index c06dce5257..d8badf96c5 100644
--- a/src/markdown/doc_of_md.ml
+++ b/src/markdown/doc_of_md.ml
@@ -64,11 +64,13 @@ let textloc_to_loc ~locator textloc =
   let point_of_line_and_byte_pos ~locator:(location, line_trim_counts) l pos =
     let line_num, line_pos = l in
     let line = location.Lexing.pos_lnum + line_num - 1 in
-    let column = line_trim_counts.(line_num - 1) + (pos - line_pos) in
-    let column =
-      match line_num with 1 -> comment_col ~location + column | _ -> column
-    in
-    { Loc.line; column }
+    try
+      let column = line_trim_counts.(line_num - 1) + (pos - line_pos) in
+      let column =
+        match line_num with 1 -> comment_col ~location + column | _ -> column
+      in
+      { Loc.line; column }
+    with _ -> { Loc.line = -1; column = -1 }
   in
   let file = Textloc.file textloc in
   let first_line = Textloc.first_line textloc in
@@ -162,7 +164,9 @@ type nestable_ast_acc =
 let link_definition defs l =
   match Inline.Link.reference_definition defs l with
   | Some (Link_definition.Def (ld, _)) -> ld
-  | Some _ -> assert false (* if we parse without cmarkit extensions *)
+  | Some (Block.Footnote.Def (f, _)) ->
+      Link_definition.make ~label:(Block.Footnote.label f) ()
+  | Some _ -> assert false
   | None -> assert false (* assert [l]'s referenced label is not synthetic *)
 
 let autolink_to_inline_element ~locator a m (is, warns) =
diff --git a/src/markdown/odoc_md.ml b/src/markdown/odoc_md.ml
index 177b8cac00..18b21cf3a7 100644
--- a/src/markdown/odoc_md.ml
+++ b/src/markdown/odoc_md.ml
@@ -40,10 +40,14 @@ let mk_page input_s id elements =
     frontmatter;
   }
 
-let run input_s parent_id_str odoc_dir =
+let run input_s parent_id_opt odoc_dir =
   (* Construct the id of this page *)
   let page_name = Filename.basename input_s |> Filename.chop_extension in
-  let parent_id = Odoc_odoc.Compile.mk_id parent_id_str in
+  let parent_id =
+    match parent_id_opt with
+    | Some parent_id_str -> Odoc_odoc.Compile.mk_id parent_id_str
+    | None -> None
+  in
   let id =
     Odoc_model.Paths.Identifier.Mk.leaf_page
       (parent_id, Odoc_model.Names.PageName.make_std page_name)
@@ -53,7 +57,10 @@ let run input_s parent_id_str odoc_dir =
   let page = mk_page input_s id content in
 
   let output =
-    Fpath.(v odoc_dir // v parent_id_str / ("page-" ^ page_name ^ ".odoc"))
+    match parent_id_opt with
+    | None -> Fpath.(v odoc_dir / ("page-" ^ page_name ^ ".odoc"))
+    | Some parent_id_str ->
+        Fpath.(v odoc_dir // v parent_id_str / ("page-" ^ page_name ^ ".odoc"))
   in
   Odoc_odoc.Odoc_file.save_page output ~warnings page
 
@@ -69,7 +76,7 @@ let parent_id =
      well as the location of the eventual html or other file."
   in
   Arg.(
-    required & opt (some string) None & info ~docv:"PARENT" ~doc [ "parent-id" ])
+    value & opt (some string) None & info ~docv:"PARENT" ~doc [ "parent-id" ])
 
 let output_dir =
   let doc =