diff --git a/test/api/unit/top-level/dataexport.test.js b/test/api/unit/top-level/dataexport.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3f6892ee9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/api/unit/top-level/dataexport.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import dataexport from '../../../../website/server/controllers/top-level/dataexport';
+
+import * as Tasks from '../../../../website/server/models/task';
+import * as inboxLib from '../../../../website/server/libs/inbox';
+
+describe('xml export', async () => {
+  let exported;
+
+  const user = {
+    toJSON () {
+      return {
+        newMessages: {
+          '283171a5-422c-4991-bc78-95b1b5b51629': {
+            name: 'The Language Hackers',
+            value: true,
+          },
+          '283171a6-422c-4991-bc78-95b1b5b51629': {
+            name: 'The Bug Hackers',
+            value: false,
+          },
+        },
+        inbox: {},
+        pinnedItems: [],
+        unpinnedItems: [],
+      };
+    },
+  };
+
+  const response = {
+    locals: { user },
+    set () {},
+    status: () => ({
+      send: data => {
+        exported = data;
+      },
+    }),
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    const tasks = [{
+      toJSON: () => ({ a: 'b', type: 'c' }),
+    }];
+    const messages = [{ flags: { content: 'message' } }];
+
+    sinon.stub(Tasks.Task, 'find').returns({ exec: async () => tasks });
+    sinon.stub(inboxLib, 'getUserInbox').resolves(messages);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    sinon.restore();
+  });
+
+  it('maps the newMessages field to have id as a value in a list.', async () => {
+    await dataexport.exportUserDataXml.handler({}, response);
+    expect(exported).to.equal(`<user>
+    <newMessages>
+        <id>283171a5-422c-4991-bc78-95b1b5b51629</id>
+        <name>The Language Hackers</name>
+        <value>true</value>
+    </newMessages>
+    <newMessages>
+        <id>283171a6-422c-4991-bc78-95b1b5b51629</id>
+        <name>The Bug Hackers</name>
+        <value>false</value>
+    </newMessages>
+    <inbox>
+        <messages>
+            <flags>content</flags>
+        </messages>
+    </inbox>
+    <tasks>
+        <cs>
+            <a>b</a>
+            <type>c</type>
+        </cs>
+    </tasks>
+</user>`);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/website/server/controllers/top-level/dataexport.js b/website/server/controllers/top-level/dataexport.js
index 2a17f4e5e4..f1bc60ea28 100644
--- a/website/server/controllers/top-level/dataexport.js
+++ b/website/server/controllers/top-level/dataexport.js
@@ -112,14 +112,15 @@ async function _getUserDataForExport (user, xmlMode = false) {
     // object maps cant be parsed
     userData.inbox.messages = _(userData.inbox.messages)
       .map(m => {
-        const flags = Object.keys(m.flags);
-        m.flags = flags;
+        m.flags = Object.keys(m.flags);
 
         return m;
       })
       .value();
 
-    // _id gets parsed as an bytearray => which gets casted to a chararray => "weird chars"
+    userData.newMessages = _.map(userData.newMessages, (msg, id) => ({ id, ...msg }));
+
+    // _id gets parsed as a bytearray => which gets cast to a chararray => "weird chars"
     userData.unpinnedItems = userData.unpinnedItems.map(i => ({
       path: i.path,
       type: i.type,
diff --git a/website/server/models/user/schema.js b/website/server/models/user/schema.js
index f671479dc9..abc6426a56 100644
--- a/website/server/models/user/schema.js
+++ b/website/server/models/user/schema.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import mongoose from 'mongoose';
+import { Schema } from 'mongoose';
 import validator from 'validator';
 import shared from '../../../common';
 import { // eslint-disable-line import/no-cycle
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import { schema as TagSchema } from '../tag';
 import { schema as UserNotificationSchema } from '../userNotification';
 import { schema as WebhookSchema } from '../webhook';
 
-const { Schema } = mongoose;
-
 const RESTRICTED_EMAIL_DOMAINS = Object.freeze(['habitica.com', 'habitrpg.com']);
 
 // User schema definition