diff --git a/addons/base_import/controllers.py b/addons/base_import/controllers.py
index bc014cd8265..d978730b482 100644
--- a/addons/base_import/controllers.py
+++ b/addons/base_import/controllers.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class ImportController(openerpweb.Controller):
         import_id = int(import_id)
 
         written = req.session.model('base_import.import').write(import_id, {
-            'file': base64.b64encode(file.read()),
+            'file': file.read(),
             'file_name': file.filename,
             'file_type': file.content_type,
         }, req.session.eval_context(req.context))
diff --git a/addons/base_import/models.py b/addons/base_import/models.py
index 2e44c686fd7..f340b582eaa 100644
--- a/addons/base_import/models.py
+++ b/addons/base_import/models.py
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-import base64
-import codecs
 import csv
 import itertools
 import logging
 import operator
-import random
 
 try:
     from cStringIO import StringIO
@@ -24,7 +21,8 @@ class ir_import(orm.TransientModel):
 
     _columns = {
         'res_model': fields.char('Model', size=64),
-        'file': fields.binary('File'),
+        'file': fields.binary(
+            'File', help="File to check and/or import, raw binary (not base64)"),
         'file_name': fields.char('File Name', size=None),
         'file_mime': fields.char('File Type', size=None),
     }
@@ -123,7 +121,7 @@ class ir_import(orm.TransientModel):
         :throws UnicodeDecodeError: if ``options.encoding`` is incorrect
         """
         csv_iterator = csv.reader(
-            StringIO(base64.b64decode(record.file)),
+            StringIO(record.file),
             quotechar=options['quote'],
             delimiter=options['separator'])
         csv_nonempty = itertools.ifilter(None, csv_iterator)
@@ -238,8 +236,8 @@ class ir_import(orm.TransientModel):
                 # even if it yields non-printable characters. This is
                 # in case of UnicodeDecodeError (or csv.Error
                 # compounded with UnicodeDecodeError)
-                'preview': base64.b64decode(record.file)[:ERROR_PREVIEW_BYTES]\
-                                 .decode('iso-8859-1'),
+                'preview': record.file[:ERROR_PREVIEW_BYTES]
+                                .decode( 'iso-8859-1'),
             }
 
     def _convert_import_data(self, record, fields, options, context=None):
diff --git a/addons/base_import/tests/test_cases.py b/addons/base_import/tests/test_cases.py
index e2b61c1928b..420140cd2ac 100644
--- a/addons/base_import/tests/test_cases.py
+++ b/addons/base_import/tests/test_cases.py
@@ -167,15 +167,12 @@ class test_match_headers_multiple(TransactionCase):
             })
         )
 
-import base64, csv
 class test_preview(TransactionCase):
     def make_import(self):
         Import = self.registry('base_import.import')
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'res.users',
-            'file': base64.b64encode(
-                u"로그인,언어\n".encode('euc_kr'),
-                "bob,1\n"),
+            'file': u"로그인,언어\nbob,1\n".encode('euc_kr'),
         })
         return Import, id
 
@@ -211,10 +208,10 @@ class test_preview(TransactionCase):
         Import = self.registry('base_import.import')
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'base_import.tests.models.preview',
-            'file': base64.b64encode('name,Some Value,Counter\n'
+            'file': 'name,Some Value,Counter\n'
                     'foo,1,2\n'
                     'bar,3,4\n'
-                    'qux,5,6\n')
+                    'qux,5,6\n'
         })
 
         result = Import.parse_preview(self.cr, self.uid, id, {
@@ -248,10 +245,10 @@ class test_convert_import_data(TransactionCase):
         Import = self.registry('base_import.import')
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'base_import.tests.models.preview',
-            'file': base64.b64encode('name,Some Value,Counter\n'
+            'file': 'name,Some Value,Counter\n'
                     'foo,1,2\n'
                     'bar,3,4\n'
-                    'qux,5,6\n')
+                    'qux,5,6\n'
         })
         record = Import.browse(self.cr, self.uid, id)
         data, fields = Import._convert_import_data(
@@ -272,10 +269,10 @@ class test_convert_import_data(TransactionCase):
         Import = self.registry('base_import.import')
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'base_import.tests.models.preview',
-            'file': base64.b64encode('name,Some Value,Counter\n'
+            'file': 'name,Some Value,Counter\n'
                     'foo,1,2\n'
                     'bar,3,4\n'
-                    'qux,5,6\n')
+                    'qux,5,6\n'
         })
         record = Import.browse(self.cr, self.uid, id)
         data, fields = Import._convert_import_data(
@@ -296,10 +293,10 @@ class test_convert_import_data(TransactionCase):
         Import = self.registry('base_import.import')
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'base_import.tests.models.preview',
-            'file': base64.b64encode('name,Some Value,Counter\n'
+            'file': 'name,Some Value,Counter\n'
                     'foo,1,2\n'
                     ',3,\n'
-                    ',5,6\n')
+                    ',5,6\n'
         })
         record = Import.browse(self.cr, self.uid, id)
         data, fields = Import._convert_import_data(
@@ -317,8 +314,8 @@ class test_convert_import_data(TransactionCase):
 
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'base_import.tests.models.preview',
-            'file': base64.b64encode('name,Some Value,Counter\n'
-                    'foo,1,2\n')
+            'file': 'name,Some Value,Counter\n'
+                    'foo,1,2\n'
         })
 
         record = Import.browse(self.cr, self.uid, id)
@@ -333,8 +330,8 @@ class test_convert_import_data(TransactionCase):
 
         id = Import.create(self.cr, self.uid, {
             'res_model': 'base_import.tests.models.preview',
-            'file': base64.b64encode('name,Some Value,Counter\n'
-                    'foo,1,2\n')
+            'file': 'name,Some Value,Counter\n'
+                    'foo,1,2\n'
         })
 
         record = Import.browse(self.cr, self.uid, id)