diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4c317488..f8866611 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 ### Changed
 
 - Item IDs no longer contain the production datetime ([#88](https://github.com/stactools-packages/modis/pull/88))
+- Make XML metadata optional - extract metadata from HDF file if XML is not available ([#XX](https://github.com/stactools-packages/modis/pull/XX))
 
 ### Fixed
 
diff --git a/src/stactools/modis/builder.py b/src/stactools/modis/builder.py
index 8304f9b0..961f63f1 100644
--- a/src/stactools/modis/builder.py
+++ b/src/stactools/modis/builder.py
@@ -110,7 +110,13 @@ def add_hdf_or_xml_href(
             xml_href = f"{href}.xml"
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"Invalid HDF or XML href: {href}")
-        self.add_xml_asset(xml_href)
+
+        # Add XML asset if it exists, otherwise extract metadata from HDF
+        if os.path.exists(xml_href):
+            self.add_xml_asset(xml_href)
+        else:
+            self.metadata = Metadata.from_hdf_href(hdf_href, self.read_href_modifier)
+
         self.add_hdf_asset(
             hdf_href, cog_directory=cog_directory, create_cogs=create_cogs
         )
diff --git a/src/stactools/modis/metadata.py b/src/stactools/modis/metadata.py
index def1f084..e1f6b052 100644
--- a/src/stactools/modis/metadata.py
+++ b/src/stactools/modis/metadata.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import fsspec
 import numpy as np
+import rasterio
 from lxml import etree
 from rasterio import Affine
 from rasterio.crs import CRS
@@ -232,6 +233,8 @@ def from_cog_tags(cls, cog_tags: Dict[str, str]) -> "Metadata":
         geometry, bbox = cls._geometry_and_bbox(
             collection, horizontal_tile, vertical_tile
         )
+        qa_percent = cog_tags.get("QAPERCENTNOTPRODUCEDCLOUD")
+        qa_percent_not_produced_cloud = int(qa_percent) if qa_percent else None
         return Metadata(
             id=os.path.splitext(cog_tags["LOCALGRANULEID"])[0],
             product=product,
@@ -242,7 +245,7 @@ def from_cog_tags(cls, cog_tags: Dict[str, str]) -> "Metadata":
             end_datetime=end_datetime,
             created=None,
             updated=None,
-            qa_percent_not_produced_cloud=int(cog_tags["QAPERCENTNOTPRODUCEDCLOUD"]),
+            qa_percent_not_produced_cloud=qa_percent_not_produced_cloud,
             qa_percent_cloud_cover=None,
             horizontal_tile=horizontal_tile,
             vertical_tile=vertical_tile,
@@ -252,6 +255,30 @@ def from_cog_tags(cls, cog_tags: Dict[str, str]) -> "Metadata":
             collection=collection,
         )
 
+    @classmethod
+    def from_hdf_href(
+        cls, href: str, read_href_modifier: Optional[ReadHrefModifier] = None
+    ) -> "Metadata":
+        """Reads metadata from an HDF file when XML is not available.
+
+        Args:
+            href (str): The href of the HDF file
+            read_href_modifier (Optional[Callable[[str], str]]): Optional
+                function to modify the read href
+
+        Returns:
+            Metadata: Information that will map to Item attributes.
+        """
+        if read_href_modifier:
+            read_href = read_href_modifier(href)
+        else:
+            read_href = href
+
+        with rasterio.open(read_href) as dataset:
+            hdf_tags = dataset.tags()
+
+        return cls.from_cog_tags(hdf_tags)
+
     @property
     def datetime(self) -> Optional[datetime.datetime]:
         """Returns a single nominal datetime for this metadata file.
diff --git a/tests/test_stac.py b/tests/test_stac.py
index da6e9658..77e90c1b 100644
--- a/tests/test_stac.py
+++ b/tests/test_stac.py
@@ -207,6 +207,25 @@ def test_raster_footprint_geometry() -> None:
         item.validate()
 
 
+def test_create_item_from_hdf_without_xml(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    hdf_file = "MOD10A2.A2022033.h09v05.061.2022042050729.hdf"
+    source_hdf_path = test_data.get_path(f"data-files/{hdf_file}")
+
+    temp_hdf_path = tmp_path / hdf_file
+    shutil.copyfile(source_hdf_path, temp_hdf_path)
+
+    temp_xml_path = tmp_path / f"{hdf_file}.xml"
+    assert not temp_xml_path.exists()
+
+    item = stactools.modis.stac.create_item(str(temp_hdf_path))
+
+    assert item is not None
+    assert item.id.startswith("MOD10A2.A2022033.h09v05")
+    assert "hdf" in item.assets
+    assert "metadata" not in item.assets
+    item.validate()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("file_name", PROJECTION_EDGE_FILES)
 def test_raster_footprint_at_projection_edge(file_name: str) -> None:
     path = test_data.get_path(file_name)