diff --git a/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/export.go b/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/export.go
index 19757a720e0e..aeca85f7ecef 100644
--- a/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/export.go
+++ b/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/export.go
@@ -142,6 +142,19 @@ func RunExport(f *clientcmd.Factory, exporter Exporter, in io.Reader, out io.Wri
 		newInfos := []*resource.Info{}
 		errs := []error{}
 		for _, info := range infos {
+			// convert unstructured object to runtime.Object
+			data, err := runtime.Encode(kapi.Codecs.LegacyCodec(), info.Object)
+			if err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, err)
+				continue
+			}
+			decoded, err := runtime.Decode(kapi.Codecs.UniversalDecoder(), data)
+			if err == nil {
+				// ignore error, if any, in order to allow resources
+				// not known by the client to still be exported
+				info.Object = decoded
+			}
+
 			if err := exporter.Export(info.Object, exact); err != nil {
 				if err == ErrExportOmit {
 					continue