diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
index 42da94f7166..12a3e8c75e1 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
@@ -58,9 +58,15 @@ var ListController = BasicController.extend({
         this.fieldChangedPrevented = false;
         this.isPageSelected = false; // true iff all records of the page are selected
         this.isDomainSelected = false; // true iff the user selected all records matching the domain
-        session.user_has_group('base.group_allow_export').then(has_group => {
-            this.isExportEnable = has_group;
+        this.isExportEnable = false;
+    },
+
+    willStart() {
+        const sup = this._super(...arguments);
+        const acl = session.user_has_group('base.group_allow_export').then(hasGroup => {
+            this.isExportEnable = hasGroup;
         });
+        return Promise.all([sup, acl]);
     },
 
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/test_utils_mock.js b/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/test_utils_mock.js
index 1b70673f067..144b05acf74 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/test_utils_mock.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/test_utils_mock.js
@@ -168,14 +168,13 @@ async function _getMockedOwlEnv(params, mockServer) {
  *   end of the test
  */
 function _mockGlobalObjects(params) {
+    // store initial session state (for restoration)
+    const initialSession = Object.assign({}, session);
     // patch session
-    let initialSession = Object.assign({}, session);
-    session.getTZOffset = function () {
-        return 0; // by default, but may be overridden in specific tests
-    };
-    if ('session' in params) {
-        Object.assign(session, params.session);
-    }
+    Object.assign(session, {
+        getTZOffset() { return 0; },
+        async user_has_group() { return false; },
+    }, params.session);
 
     // patch config
     let initialConfig;
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/widgets/data_export_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/widgets/data_export_tests.js
index e7fb9864791..8890ee48c20 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/widgets/data_export_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/widgets/data_export_tests.js
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
                 records: [],
             },
         };
-
+        this.mockSession = {
+            async user_has_group(g) { return g === 'base.group_allow_export'; }
+        }
         this.mockDataExportRPCs = function (route) {
             if (route === '/web/export/formats') {
                 return Promise.resolve([
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
             },
             mockRPC: this.mockDataExportRPCs,
             session: {
+                ...this.mockSession,
                 get_file: function (params) {
                     assert.step(params.url);
                     params.complete();
@@ -148,6 +151,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
             },
             mockRPC: this.mockDataExportRPCs,
             session: {
+                ...this.mockSession,
                 get_file: function (params) {
                     const data = JSON.parse(params.data.data);
                     assert.deepEqual({ids: data.ids, domain: data.domain}, expectedData);
@@ -207,6 +211,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
             viewOptions: {
                 hasActionMenus: true,
             },
+            session: this.mockSession,
             mockRPC: this.mockDataExportRPCs,
         });
 
@@ -249,6 +254,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
             viewOptions: {
                 hasActionMenus: true,
             },
+            session: this.mockSession,
             mockRPC: this.mockDataExportRPCs,
         });
 
@@ -283,6 +289,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
             model: 'partner',
             data: this.data,
             arch: `<tree export_xlsx="0"><field name="foo"/></tree>`,
+            session: this.mockSession,
         });
         assert.containsNone(list, '.o_list_export_xlsx')
         list.destroy();
@@ -302,6 +309,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
                 </tree>`,
             domain: [['bar', '!=', 'glou']],
             session: {
+                ...this.mockSession,
                 get_file(args) {
                     let data = JSON.parse(args.data.data);
                     assert.strictEqual(args.url, '/web/export/xlsx', "should call get_file with the correct url");
@@ -346,6 +354,7 @@ QUnit.module('widgets', {
             groupBy: ['foo', 'bar'],
             domain: [['bar', '!=', 'glou']],
             session: {
+                ...this.mockSession,
                 get_file(args) {
                     let data = JSON.parse(args.data.data);
                     assert.strictEqual(args.url, '/web/export/xlsx', "should call get_file with the correct url");