diff --git a/bin/tools/convert.py b/bin/tools/convert.py
index 973e762cd2e..d9b663ae7a2 100644
--- a/bin/tools/convert.py
+++ b/bin/tools/convert.py
@@ -102,13 +102,12 @@ def _eval_xml(self, node, pool, cr, uid, idref, context=None):
                               pytz=pytz)
                 if len(f_model):
                     idref2['obj'] = _obj(self.pool, cr, uid, f_model, context=context)
-
                 try:
-                        return unsafe_eval(a_eval, idref2)
+                    return unsafe_eval(a_eval, idref2)
                 except Exception:
-                        logger = logging.getLogger('init')
-                        logger.warning('could not eval(%s) for %s in %s' % (a_eval, node.get('name'), context), exc_info=True)
-                        return ""
+                    logger = logging.getLogger('init')
+                    logger.warning('could not eval(%s) for %s in %s' % (a_eval, node.get('name'), context), exc_info=True)
+                    return ""
             if t == 'xml':
                 def _process(s, idref):
                     m = re.findall('[^%]%\((.*?)\)[ds]', s)
@@ -212,15 +211,24 @@ class xml_import(object):
 
     def get_context(self, data_node, node, eval_dict):
         data_node_context = (len(data_node) and data_node.get('context','').encode('utf8'))
-        if data_node_context:
-            context = unsafe_eval(data_node_context, eval_dict)
-        else:
-            context = {}
-
         node_context = node.get("context",'').encode('utf8')
-        if node_context:
-            context.update(unsafe_eval(node_context, eval_dict))
-
+        context = {}
+        for ctx in (data_node_context, node_context):
+            if ctx:
+                try:
+                    ctx_res = unsafe_eval(ctx, eval_dict)
+                    if isinstance(context, dict):
+                        context.update(ctx_res)
+                    else:
+                        context = ctx_res
+                except NameError:
+                    # Some contexts contain references that are only valid at runtime at
+                    # client-side, so in that case we keep the original context string
+                    # as it is. We also log it, just in case.
+                    context = ctx
+                    logging.getLogger("init").debug('Context value (%s) for element with id "%s" or its data node does not parse '\
+                                                    'at server-side, keeping original string, in case it\'s meant for client side only',
+                                                    ctx, node.get('id','n/a'), exc_info=True)
         return context
 
     def get_uid(self, cr, uid, data_node, node):
@@ -390,26 +398,47 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
         if rec.get('view'):
             view_id = self.id_get(cr, 'ir.actions.act_window', rec.get('view','').encode('utf-8'))
         domain = rec.get('domain','').encode('utf-8') or '{}'
-        context = rec.get('context','').encode('utf-8') or '{}'
         res_model = rec.get('res_model','').encode('utf-8')
         src_model = rec.get('src_model','').encode('utf-8')
         view_type = rec.get('view_type','').encode('utf-8') or 'form'
         view_mode = rec.get('view_mode','').encode('utf-8') or 'tree,form'
-
         usage = rec.get('usage','').encode('utf-8')
         limit = rec.get('limit','').encode('utf-8')
         auto_refresh = rec.get('auto_refresh','').encode('utf-8')
-
-        # WARNING: don't remove the unused variables and functions below as they are
-        # used by the unsafe_eval() call.
-        # TODO: change this into an eval call with locals and globals parameters
         uid = self.uid
         active_id = str("active_id") # for further reference in client/bin/tools/__init__.py
         def ref(str_id):
             return self.id_get(cr, None, str_id)
-        context = unsafe_eval(context)
-#        domain = eval(domain) # XXX need to test this line -> uid, active_id, active_ids, ...
 
+        # Include all locals() in eval_context, for backwards compatibility
+        eval_context = {
+            'name': name,
+            'xml_id': xml_id,
+            'type': type,
+            'view_id': view_id,
+            'domain': domain,
+            'res_model': res_model,
+            'src_model': src_model,
+            'view_type': view_type,
+            'view_mode': view_mode,
+            'usage': usage,
+            'limit': limit,
+            'auto_refresh': auto_refresh,
+            'uid' : uid,
+            'active_id': active_id,
+            'ref' : ref,
+        }
+        context = self.get_context(data_node, rec, eval_context)
+
+        try:
+            domain = unsafe_eval(domain, eval_context)
+        except NameError:
+            # Some domains contain references that are only valid at runtime at
+            # client-side, so in that case we keep the original domain string
+            # as it is. We also log it, just in case.
+            logging.getLogger("init").debug('Domain value (%s) for element with id "%s" does not parse '\
+                                            'at server-side, keeping original string, in case it\'s meant for client side only',
+                                            domain, xml_id or 'n/a', exc_info=True)
         res = {
             'name': name,
             'type': type,
@@ -713,12 +742,12 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
         for field in rec.findall('./field'):
 #TODO: most of this code is duplicated above (in _eval_xml)...
             f_name = field.get("name",'').encode('utf-8')
-            f_ref = field.get("ref",'').encode('ascii')
+            f_ref = field.get("ref",'').encode('utf-8')
             f_search = field.get("search",'').encode('utf-8')
-            f_model = field.get("model",'').encode('ascii')
+            f_model = field.get("model",'').encode('utf-8')
             if not f_model and model._columns.get(f_name,False):
                 f_model = model._columns[f_name]._obj
-            f_use = field.get("use",'').encode('ascii') or 'id'
+            f_use = field.get("use",'').encode('utf-8') or 'id'
             f_val = False
 
             if f_search: