diff --git a/src/core/metadata_parser.js b/src/core/metadata_parser.js
index 9541dae4d91cd..66a8b92148b15 100644
--- a/src/core/metadata_parser.js
+++ b/src/core/metadata_parser.js
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ class MetadataParser {
     data = this._repair(data);
 
     // Convert the string to an XML document.
-    const parser = new SimpleXMLParser({ lowerCaseName: true });
+    const parser = new SimpleXMLParser({
+      lowerCaseName: true,
+      hasAttributes: true,
+    });
     const xmlDocument = parser.parseFromString(data);
 
     this._metadataMap = new Map();
@@ -100,6 +103,35 @@ class MetadataParser {
     );
   }
 
+  _parseLangAlt(entry) {
+    if (!entry.hasChildNodes()) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const altNode = entry.childNodes.find(node => node.nodeName !== "#text");
+    if (!altNode) {
+      this._metadataMap.set(entry.nodeName, entry.textContent.trim());
+      return;
+    }
+    const list = this._getSequence(altNode);
+    if (!list || list.length === 0) {
+      // Fallback: no rdf:Alt container, use textContent directly
+      this._metadataMap.set(entry.nodeName, entry.textContent.trim());
+      return;
+    }
+    // Find x-default entry, otherwise use first entry
+    let selectedEntry = list[0];
+    for (const node of list) {
+      const langAttr = node.attributes?.find(
+        attr => attr.name.toLowerCase() === "xml:lang"
+      );
+      if (langAttr?.value === "x-default") {
+        selectedEntry = node;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    this._metadataMap.set(entry.nodeName, selectedEntry.textContent.trim());
+  }
+
   _parse(xmlDocument) {
     let rdf = xmlDocument.documentElement;
 
@@ -129,6 +161,10 @@ class MetadataParser {
           case "dc:subject":
             this._parseArray(entry);
             continue;
+          case "dc:title":
+          case "dc:description":
+            this._parseLangAlt(entry);
+            continue;
         }
         this._metadataMap.set(name, entry.textContent.trim());
       }
diff --git a/test/unit/metadata_spec.js b/test/unit/metadata_spec.js
index 5360f8ab0cec0..09b50901d828e 100644
--- a/test/unit/metadata_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/metadata_spec.js
@@ -215,6 +215,72 @@ describe("metadata", function () {
     expect([...metadata]).toEqual([]);
   });
 
+  it("should handle multiple language titles in dc:title (issue 20801)", function () {
+    const data =
+      "<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>" +
+      "<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>" +
+      "<rdf:Description xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'>" +
+      "<dc:title><rdf:Alt>" +
+      '<rdf:li xml:lang="x-default">Hello World</rdf:li>' +
+      '<rdf:li xml:lang="en">Hello World</rdf:li>' +
+      "</rdf:Alt></dc:title></rdf:Description></rdf:RDF></x:xmpmeta>";
+    const metadata = createMetadata(data);
+
+    // Should return just one title, not concatenated "Hello WorldHello World"
+    expect(metadata.get("dc:title")).toEqual("Hello World");
+  });
+
+  it("should handle multiple language descriptions without x-default (issue 20801)", function () {
+    const data =
+      "<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>" +
+      "<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>" +
+      "<rdf:Description xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'>" +
+      "<dc:description><rdf:Alt>" +
+      '<rdf:li xml:lang="en">English Desc</rdf:li>' +
+      '<rdf:li xml:lang="fr">French Desc</rdf:li>' +
+      "</rdf:Alt></dc:description></rdf:Description></rdf:RDF></x:xmpmeta>";
+    const metadata = createMetadata(data);
+
+    // Should return first entry when no x-default
+    expect(metadata.get("dc:description")).toEqual("English Desc");
+  });
+
+  it("should handle whitespace before rdf:Alt in dc:title", function () {
+    const data =
+      "<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>" +
+      "<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>" +
+      "<rdf:Description xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'>" +
+      "<dc:title>\n  <rdf:Alt>" +
+      '<rdf:li xml:lang="x-default">Whitespace Title</rdf:li>' +
+      '<rdf:li xml:lang="en">English Title</rdf:li>' +
+      "</rdf:Alt></dc:title></rdf:Description></rdf:RDF></x:xmpmeta>";
+    const metadata = createMetadata(data);
+
+    expect(metadata.get("dc:title")).toEqual("Whitespace Title");
+  });
+
+  it("should handle empty dc:creator element", function () {
+    const data =
+      "<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>" +
+      "<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>" +
+      "<rdf:Description xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'>" +
+      "<dc:creator></dc:creator>" +
+      "</rdf:Description></rdf:RDF></x:xmpmeta>";
+    const metadata = createMetadata(data);
+    expect(metadata.get("dc:creator")).toEqual(null);
+  });
+
+  it("should handle empty dc:title element", function () {
+    const data =
+      "<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>" +
+      "<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>" +
+      "<rdf:Description xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'>" +
+      "<dc:title></dc:title>" +
+      "</rdf:Description></rdf:RDF></x:xmpmeta>";
+    const metadata = createMetadata(data);
+    expect(metadata.get("dc:title")).toEqual(null);
+  });
+
   it("should not be vulnerable to the billion laughs attack", function () {
     const data =
       '<?xml version="1.0"?>' +