diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index 2faf28c10..baf61760c 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 extern crate dirs;
 
 use std::str::FromStr;
-use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
 use anyhow::{bail, ensure, Error};
 use async_std::path::Path;
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ use deltachat::context::*;
 use deltachat::dc_receive_imf::*;
 use deltachat::dc_tools::*;
 use deltachat::error::Error;
-use deltachat::export_chat::{export_chat, pack_exported_chat};
+use deltachat::export_chat::export_chat_to_zip;
 use deltachat::imex::*;
 use deltachat::location;
 use deltachat::log::LogExt;
@@ -390,7 +389,7 @@ pub async fn cmdline(context: Context, line: &str, chat_id: &mut ChatId) -> Resu
                  protect <chat-id>\n\
                  unprotect <chat-id>\n\
                  delchat <chat-id>\n\
-                 export-chat <chat-id>\n\
+                 export-chat <chat-id> <destination-file>\n\
                  ===========================Contact requests==\n\
                  decidestartchat <msg-id>\n\
                  decideblock <msg-id>\n\
@@ -1028,24 +1027,10 @@ pub async fn cmdline(context: Context, line: &str, chat_id: &mut ChatId) -> Resu
         }
         "export-chat" => {
             ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Argument <chat-id> missing.");
+            ensure!(!arg2.is_empty(), "Argument <destination file> missing.");
             let chat_id = ChatId::new(arg1.parse()?);
-            let res = export_chat(&context, chat_id).await;
-            // println!("{:?}", res);
-            let timestamp = SystemTime::now()
-                .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
-                .unwrap()
-                .as_secs();
-            let destination_raw = context.get_blobdir().join(format!(
-                "exported_{}_{}.zip",
-                chat_id.to_u32(),
-                timestamp
-            ));
-            let destination = destination_raw.to_str().unwrap();
-            let pack_res = pack_exported_chat(&context, res, destination);
-            match &pack_res {
-                Ok(()) => println!("Exported chat successfully to {}", destination),
-                Err(err) => println!("Error {:?}", err),
-            };
+            // todo check if path is valid (dest dir exists) and ends in .zip
+            export_chat_to_zip(&context, chat_id, arg2).await;
         }
         "msginfo" => {
             ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Argument <msg-id> missing.");
diff --git a/src/export_chat.rs b/src/export_chat.rs
index 97772fe77..d25b4521a 100644
--- a/src/export_chat.rs
+++ b/src/export_chat.rs
@@ -38,20 +38,29 @@ use futures::future::join_all;
 use serde::Serialize;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct ExportChatResult {
+struct ExportChatResult {
     chat_json: String,
     // locations_geo_json: String,
     message_info: Vec<(u32, String, Option<String>)>,
     referenced_blobs: Vec<String>,
 }
 
-pub fn pack_exported_chat(
+pub async fn export_chat_to_zip(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId, filename: &str) -> () {
+    let res = export_chat_data(&context, chat_id).await;
+    let destination = std::path::Path::new(filename);
+    let pack_res = pack_exported_chat(&context, res, destination);
+    match &pack_res {
+        Ok(()) => println!("Exported chat successfully to {}", filename),
+        Err(err) => println!("Error {:?}", err),
+    };
+}
+
+fn pack_exported_chat(
     context: &Context,
     artifact: ExportChatResult,
-    filename: &str,
+    destination: &Path,
 ) -> zip::result::ZipResult<()> {
-    let path = std::path::Path::new(filename);
-    let file = std::fs::File::create(&path).unwrap();
+    let file = std::fs::File::create(&destination).unwrap();
 
     let mut zip = zip::ZipWriter::new(file);
 
@@ -88,6 +97,8 @@ pub fn pack_exported_chat(
         }
     }
 
+    // todo maybe memory optimisation -> load message source here and pack it directly into zip
+
     zip.finish()?;
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -169,7 +180,7 @@ impl MessageJSON {
     }
 }
 
-pub async fn export_chat(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> ExportChatResult {
+async fn export_chat_data(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> ExportChatResult {
     let mut blobs = Vec::new();
     let mut chat_author_ids = Vec::new();
     // get all messages