diff --git a/addons/web/controllers/main.py b/addons/web/controllers/main.py
index ab96ee293d4..2a63740d424 100644
--- a/addons/web/controllers/main.py
+++ b/addons/web/controllers/main.py
@@ -1335,7 +1335,7 @@ class ExportFormat(object):
         model, fields, ids, domain, import_compat = \
             operator.itemgetter('model', 'fields', 'ids', 'domain', 'import_compat')(params)
 
-        Model = request.env[model].with_context(**params.get('context', {}))
+        Model = request.env[model].with_context(import_compat=import_compat, **params.get('context', {}))
         records = Model.browse(ids) or Model.search(domain, offset=0, limit=False, order=False)
 
         if not Model._is_an_ordinary_table():
diff --git a/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_export.py b/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_export.py
index 74f62bf7189..974d20e223f 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_export.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_export.py
@@ -600,7 +600,54 @@ class test_m2m(CreatorCase):
                 ['', u'export.many2many.other:13'],
             ])
 
-    # essentially same as o2m, so boring
+    def test_multiple_records_subfield(self):
+        r = self.make(self.commands)
+        xid = self.env['ir.model.data'].create({
+            'name': 'whopwhopwhop',
+            'module': '__t__',
+            'model': r._name,
+            'res_id': r.id,
+        }).complete_name
+        sids = [
+            self.env['ir.model.data'].create({
+                'name': sub.str,
+                'module': '__t__',
+                'model': sub._name,
+                'res_id': sub.id,
+            }).complete_name
+            for sub in r.value
+        ]
+        r.invalidate_cache()
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            r._export_rows([['value', 'id']]),
+            [['__t__.record000,__t__.record001,__t__.record010,__t__.record011,__t__.record100']]
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            r.with_context(import_compat=True)._export_rows([['value', 'id']]),
+            [['__t__.record000,__t__.record001,__t__.record010,__t__.record011,__t__.record100']]
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            r.with_context(import_compat=False)._export_rows([['id'], ['value', 'id'], ['value', 'value']]),
+            [
+                [xid, u'__t__.record000', u'4'],
+                [u'', u'__t__.record001', u'42'],
+                [u'', u'__t__.record010', u'36'],
+                [u'', u'__t__.record011', u'4'],
+                [u'', u'__t__.record100', u'13']
+            ]
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            r.with_context(import_compat=False)._export_rows([['id'], ['value', 'value'], ['value', 'id']]),
+            [
+                [xid, u'4', u'__t__.record000'],
+                [u'', u'42', u'__t__.record001'],
+                [u'', u'36', u'__t__.record010'],
+                [u'', u'4', u'__t__.record011'],
+                [u'', u'13', u'__t__.record100']
+            ]
+        )
 
 
 class test_function(CreatorCase):
diff --git a/odoo/models.py b/odoo/models.py
index 611b2bdbff3..03f676812d2 100644
--- a/odoo/models.py
+++ b/odoo/models.py
@@ -758,6 +758,7 @@ class BaseModel(object):
             :param fields: list of lists of fields to traverse
             :return: list of lists of corresponding values
         """
+        import_compatible = self.env.context.get('import_compat', True)
         lines = []
         for record in self:
             # main line of record, initially empty
@@ -791,8 +792,9 @@ class BaseModel(object):
                     else:
                         primary_done.append(name)
 
-                        # This is a special case, its strange behavior is intended!
-                        if field.type == 'many2many' and len(path) > 1 and path[1] == 'id':
+                        # in import_compat mode, m2m should always be exported as
+                        # a comma-separated list of xids in a single cell
+                        if import_compatible and field.type == 'many2many' and len(path) > 1 and path[1] == 'id':
                             xml_ids = [r.__export_xml_id() for r in value]
                             current[i] = ','.join(xml_ids) or False
                             continue