diff --git a/bin/tools/convert.py b/bin/tools/convert.py
index d6e71a3b32b..25259aa300d 100644
--- a/bin/tools/convert.py
+++ b/bin/tools/convert.py
@@ -204,12 +204,12 @@ class xml_import(object):
         if not val:
             return default
         return val.lower() not in ('0', 'false', 'off')
-    
+
     def isnoupdate(self, data_node=None):
-        return self.noupdate or (data_node and self.nodeattr2bool(data_node, 'noupdate', False)) 
+        return self.noupdate or (len(data_node) and self.nodeattr2bool(data_node, 'noupdate', False))
 
     def get_context(self, data_node, node, eval_dict):
-        data_node_context = (data_node and data_node.get('context','').encode('utf8'))
+        data_node_context = (len(data_node) and data_node.get('context','').encode('utf8'))
         if data_node_context:
             context = eval(data_node_context, eval_dict)
         else:
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ class xml_import(object):
         return context
 
     def get_uid(self, cr, uid, data_node, node):
-        node_uid = node.get('uid','') or (data_node and data_node.get('uid',''))
+        node_uid = node.get('uid','') or (len(data_node) and data_node.get('uid',''))
         if len(node_uid):
             return self.id_get(cr, None, node_uid)
         return uid
@@ -293,8 +293,8 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
 
         id = self.pool.get('ir.model.data')._update(cr, self.uid, "ir.actions.report.xml", self.module, res, xml_id, noupdate=self.isnoupdate(data_node), mode=self.mode)
         self.idref[xml_id] = int(id)
-        
-        
+
+
         if not rec.get('menu') or eval(rec.get('menu','')):
             keyword = str(rec.get('keyword','') or 'client_print_multi')
             keys = [('action',keyword),('res_model',res['model'])]
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
                         # we don't want to create it, so we skip it
                         return None
                     # else, we let the record to be created
-                
+
             else:
                 # otherwise it is skipped
                 return None
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ def convert_csv_import(cr, module, fname, csvcontent, idref=None, mode='init',
     if not (mode == 'init' or 'id' in fields):
         logger = netsvc.Logger()
         logger.notifyChannel("init", netsvc.LOG_ERROR,
-            "Import specification does not contain 'id' and we are in init mode, Cannot continue.")        
+            "Import specification does not contain 'id' and we are in init mode, Cannot continue.")
         return
 
     uid = 1