diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java
index 42288ef3c..3b7e33e6c 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@ import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlSerializer;
 import android.app.Activity;
 import android.app.ProgressDialog;
 import android.content.Context;
+import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.util.Xml;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 
 import com.timsu.astrid.R;
+import com.todoroo.andlib.data.AbstractDatabase;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.data.AbstractModel;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.data.Property;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.data.Property.PropertyVisitor;
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DateUtilities;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DialogUtilities;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.Preferences;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.core.PluginServices;
+import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.Database;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao.MetadataCriteria;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Metadata;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task;
@@ -69,6 +72,7 @@ public class TasksXmlExporter {
     private final Context context;
     private int exportCount = 0;
     private XmlSerializer xml;
+    private final Database database = PluginServices.getDatabase();
     private final TaskService taskService = PluginServices.getTaskService();
     private final MetadataService metadataService = PluginServices.getMetadataService();
     private final ExceptionService exceptionService = PluginServices.getExceptionService();
@@ -175,9 +179,27 @@ public class TasksXmlExporter {
         fos.close();
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("nls")
     private void serializeTasks() throws IOException {
-        TodorooCursor<Task> cursor = taskService.query(Query.select(
+        TodorooCursor<Task> cursor;
+        try {
+            cursor = taskService.query(Query.select(
                 Task.PROPERTIES).orderBy(Order.asc(Task.ID)));
+        } catch (SQLiteException e) {
+            String message = e.getMessage().toLowerCase();
+            if (message.contains("no such column") && message.contains("tasks.commentCount")) {
+                try {
+                    database.getDatabase().execSQL("ALTER TABLE " + Task.TABLE.name + " ADD " +
+                            Task.COMMENT_COUNT.accept(new AbstractDatabase.SqlConstructorVisitor(), null) + " DEFAULT 0");
+                } catch (SQLiteException e2) {
+                    // Suppress, column creation failed. Just try the query again
+                }
+                cursor = taskService.query(Query.select(
+                        Task.PROPERTIES).orderBy(Order.asc(Task.ID)));
+            } else {
+                throw e;
+            }
+        }
         try {
             Task task = new Task();
             int length = cursor.getCount();
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/core/PluginServices.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/core/PluginServices.java
index 3e6e90e08..0da07e765 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/core/PluginServices.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/core/PluginServices.java
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ public final class PluginServices {
         return instance;
     }
 
+    public static Database getDatabase() {
+        getInstance().database.openForWriting();
+        return getInstance().database;
+    }
+
     public static TaskService getTaskService() {
         getInstance().database.openForWriting();
         return getInstance().taskService;