diff --git a/docling_core/transforms/serializer/doclang.py b/docling_core/transforms/serializer/doclang.py
index 20c18414..1293a382 100644
--- a/docling_core/transforms/serializer/doclang.py
+++ b/docling_core/transforms/serializer/doclang.py
@@ -434,7 +434,17 @@ def _get_delim(*, params: DocLangParams) -> str:
     return "" if params.pretty_indentation is None else "\n"
 
 
+_XML_10_ILLEGAL_CHARACTER_RE = re.compile(r"[\x00-\x08\x0B\x0C\x0E-\x1F\uD800-\uDFFF\uFFFE\uFFFF]")
+
+
+def _replace_xml_illegal_character(match: re.Match[str]) -> str:
+    """Return a visible representation for an XML 1.0-illegal character."""
+    return f"[U+{ord(match.group()):04X}]"
+
+
 def _escape_text(text: str, params: DocLangParams) -> str:
+    """Escape text for DocLang while preserving XML 1.0 validity."""
+    text = _XML_10_ILLEGAL_CHARACTER_RE.sub(_replace_xml_illegal_character, text)
     do_wrap = params.content_wrapping_mode == WrapMode.ALWAYS or (
         params.content_wrapping_mode == WrapMode.AUTO and (text != text.strip() or "\n" in text)
     )
diff --git a/test/test_serialization_doclang.py b/test/test_serialization_doclang.py
index 5327bd8f..44775415 100644
--- a/test/test_serialization_doclang.py
+++ b/test/test_serialization_doclang.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """Unit tests for Doclang create_closing_token helper."""
 
 import warnings
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 from itertools import chain
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
@@ -328,6 +329,30 @@ def _create_escape_test_doc(inp_doc: DoclingDocument):
     return doc
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("pretty_indentation", [None, "  "])
+def test_doclang_replaces_xml_illegal_characters(pretty_indentation: Optional[str]):
+    """DocLang output remains valid when document text contains XML-illegal controls."""
+    doc = DoclingDocument(name="xml_illegal_character")
+    doc.add_text(label=DocItemLabel.TEXT, text="Before break\x0bAfter break")
+
+    result = (
+        DocLangDocSerializer(
+            doc=doc,
+            params=DocLangParams(
+                include_version=False,
+                add_location=False,
+                pretty_indentation=pretty_indentation,
+            ),
+        )
+        .serialize()
+        .text
+    )
+
+    ET.fromstring(result)
+    assert "Before break[U+000B]After break" in result
+    assert "\x0b" not in result
+
+
 def test_cdata_always(sample_doc: DoclingDocument):
     """Test escape_mode=ALWAYS."""
     doc = _create_escape_test_doc(sample_doc)