diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index 926287e8f..49c76e244 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use deltachat::dc_tools::*;
 use deltachat::error::Error;
 use deltachat::imex::*;
 use deltachat::job::*;
+use deltachat::export_chat::export_chat;
 use deltachat::location;
 use deltachat::lot::LotState;
 use deltachat::message::{self, Message, MessageState, MsgId};
@@ -374,6 +375,7 @@ pub fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::Error> {
                  pin <chat-id>\n\
                  unpin <chat-id>\n\
                  delchat <chat-id>\n\
+                 export-chat <chat-id>\n\
                  ===========================Message commands==\n\
                  listmsgs <query>\n\
                  msginfo <msg-id>\n\
@@ -868,6 +870,12 @@ pub fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::Error> {
             let chat_id = ChatId::new(arg1.parse()?);
             chat_id.delete(context)?;
         }
+        "export-chat" => {
+            ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Argument <chat-id> missing.");
+            let chat_id = ChatId::new(arg1.parse()?);
+            let res = export_chat(context, chat_id);
+            println!("{:?}", res);
+        }
         "msginfo" => {
             ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Argument <msg-id> missing.");
             let id = MsgId::new(arg1.parse()?);
diff --git a/examples/repl/main.rs b/examples/repl/main.rs
index e34deadd8..3b9774490 100644
--- a/examples/repl/main.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/main.rs
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ const DB_COMMANDS: [&str; 11] = [
     "housekeeping",
 ];
 
-const CHAT_COMMANDS: [&str; 26] = [
+const CHAT_COMMANDS: [&str; 27] = [
     "listchats",
     "listarchived",
     "chat",
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ const CHAT_COMMANDS: [&str; 26] = [
     "pin",
     "unpin",
     "delchat",
+    "export-chat",
 ];
 const MESSAGE_COMMANDS: [&str; 8] = [
     "listmsgs",
diff --git a/src/export_chat.rs b/src/export_chat.rs
index 9de91124f..1cf042eb1 100644
--- a/src/export_chat.rs
+++ b/src/export_chat.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ pub fn export_chat(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> ExportChatResult {
         if let Ok(c) = contact {
             let profile_img_path: String;
             if let Some(path) = c.get_profile_image(context) {
-                profile_img_path = path.to_str().unwrap_or_else(|| "").to_owned();
+                profile_img_path = path.file_name().unwrap_or_else(|| std::ffi::OsStr::new("")).to_str().unwrap().to_owned();
                  // push referenced blobs (avatars)
                  blobs.push(profile_img_path.clone());
             } else {
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@ pub fn export_chat(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> ExportChatResult {
         }
     }
 
+    // run message_to_html for each message and generate the html that way
     let mut html_messages:Vec<String> = Vec::new();
     for message in messages {
         if let Ok(msg) = message {
-            html_messages.push(message_to_html(&context, &chat_authors, msg));
+            html_messages.push(message_to_html(&chat_authors, msg));
         } else {
             html_messages.push(
                 format!(
@@ -100,18 +101,20 @@ pub fn export_chat(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> ExportChatResult {
         }
     }
 
-    // run message_to_html for each message and generate the html that way
-
     // todo chat image, chat name and so on..
 
     // todo option to export locations as kml?
+
+    // todo export message infos and save them to txt files
+    // (those can be linked from the messages, they are stored in msg_info/[msg-id].txt)
+
     ExportChatResult {
         html: format!(r#"<ul>{}</ul>"#, html_messages.join("")),
         referenced_blobs: blobs,
     }
 }
 
-fn message_to_html(ctx: &Context, author_cache: &HashMap<u32, ContactInfo>, message: Message) -> String {
+fn message_to_html(author_cache: &HashMap<u32, ContactInfo>, message: Message) -> String {
     let author: &ContactInfo = {
         if let Some(c) = author_cache.get(&message.get_from_id()) {
             c
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ fn message_to_html(ctx: &Context, author_cache: &HashMap<u32, ContactInfo>, mess
                 r#"<div class="author-avatar">
                     <img
                         alt="{author_name}"
-                        src="{author_avatar_src}"
+                        src="blobs/{author_avatar_src}"
                     />
                 </div>"#,
                 author_name = author.name,
@@ -161,11 +164,8 @@ fn message_to_html(ctx: &Context, author_cache: &HashMap<u32, ContactInfo>, mess
             </div>
             <div class="metadata">
               {encryption}
-              <span
-                class="date date--{direction}"
-                title="{full_time}"
-                >{relative_time}</span
-              ><span class="spacer"></span>
+              <span class="date date--{direction}" title="{full_time}">{relative_time}</span>
+              <span class="spacer"></span>
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 922b99500..fa222f80e 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ pub mod constants;
 pub mod contact;
 pub mod context;
 mod e2ee;
-mod export_chat;
+pub mod export_chat;
 mod imap;
 pub mod imex;
 #[macro_use]