diff --git a/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c b/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c
index a4ca1f0286..3fdb5b027d 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c
+++ b/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c
@@ -763,13 +763,37 @@ write_schedXactions( FILE *out, GNCBook *book )
     } while ( (schedXactions = schedXactions->next) );
 }
 
+static void
+write_namespace_decl (FILE *out, const char *namespace)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (namespace);
+  fprintf(out, " xmlns:%s=\"\"", namespace);
+}
+
+static void
+write_v2_header (FILE *out)
+{
+    fprintf(out, "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n");
+    fprintf(out, "<" GNC_V2_STRING);
+    /*
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "cd");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "gnc");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "act");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "cmdty");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "trn");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "ts");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "split");
+    write_namespace_decl (out, "sx");
+    */
+    fprintf(out, ">\n");
+}
+
 gboolean
 gnc_book_write_to_xml_filehandle_v2(GNCBook *book, FILE *out)
 {
     if (!out) return FALSE;
 
-    fprintf(out, "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n");
-    fprintf(out, "<" GNC_V2_STRING ">\n");
+    write_v2_header (out);
 
     write_counts(out,
                  "commodity",
@@ -800,6 +824,30 @@ gnc_book_write_to_xml_filehandle_v2(GNCBook *book, FILE *out)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+gnc_book_write_accounts_to_xml_filehandle_v2(GNCBook *book, FILE *out)
+{
+    if (!out) return FALSE;
+
+    write_v2_header (out);
+
+    write_counts(out,
+                 "commodity",
+                 gnc_commodity_table_get_size(
+                     gnc_book_get_commodity_table(book)),
+                 "account",
+                 xaccGroupGetNumSubAccounts(gnc_book_get_group(book)),
+                 NULL);
+
+    write_commodities(out, book);
+
+    write_accounts(out, book);
+
+    fprintf(out, "</" GNC_V2_STRING ">\n\n");
+
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
 gboolean
 gnc_book_write_to_xml_file_v2(GNCBook *book, const char *filename)
 {
diff --git a/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.h b/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.h
index e675dc65c1..057af24ad9 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.h
+++ b/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.h
@@ -83,10 +83,14 @@ gboolean gnc_session_load_from_xml_file_v2(
     GNCSession *session,
     void (*countcallback)(const char *type, load_counter count));
 
-/* write all account info to a file */
+/* write all book info to a file */
 gboolean gnc_book_write_to_xml_filehandle_v2(GNCBook *book, FILE *fh);
 gboolean gnc_book_write_to_xml_file_v2(GNCBook *book, const char *filename);
 
+/* write just the commodities and accounts to a file */
+gboolean gnc_book_write_accounts_to_xml_filehandle_v2(GNCBook *book,
+                                                      FILE *out);
+
 /* The is_gncxml_file() routine checks to see if the first few 
  * chars of the file look like gnc-xml data.
  */
diff --git a/src/gnome/window-main.c b/src/gnome/window-main.c
index f9a0f73e3b..a111003a2a 100644
--- a/src/gnome/window-main.c
+++ b/src/gnome/window-main.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 #include "gnc-menu-extensions.h"
 #include "gnc-ui.h"
 #include "gnucash.h"
-#include "io-utils.h"
+#include "io-gncxml-v2.h"
 #include "mainwindow-account-tree.h"
 #include "option-util.h"
 #include "top-level.h"
@@ -394,33 +394,11 @@ gnc_main_window_file_export_cb(GtkWidget * widget, gpointer data)
     return;
   }
 
-  ok = FALSE;
+  ok = gnc_book_write_accounts_to_xml_filehandle_v2 (gnc_get_current_book (),
+                                                     file);
 
-  do
-  {
-    rc = fputs ("<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n", file);
-    if (rc == EOF)
-      break;
-
-    rc = fputs ("<gnc-v2>\n", file);
-    if (rc == EOF)
-      break;
-
-    write_commodities (file, gnc_get_current_book ());
-    write_accounts (file, gnc_get_current_book ());
-
-    rc = fputs ("<\\gnc-v2>\n", file);
-    if (rc == EOF)
-      break;
-
-    write_emacs_trailer (file);
-
-    rc = fclose (file);
-    if (rc != 0)
-      break;
-
-    ok = TRUE;
-  } while (FALSE);
+  if (fclose (file) != 0)
+    ok = FALSE;
 
   if (!ok)
   {