diff --git a/lang/qt/src/exportjob.h b/lang/qt/src/exportjob.h
index 4fdb468d..91b5c90e 100644
--- a/lang/qt/src/exportjob.h
+++ b/lang/qt/src/exportjob.h
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ public:
 
     virtual void setExportFlags (unsigned int flags);
 
+    /**
+     * Starts the export operation synchronously, otherwise behaves identical to
+     * ExportJob::start
+     */
+    virtual GpgME::Error exec(const QStringList &patterns, QByteArray &data);
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void result(const GpgME::Error &result, const QByteArray &keyData, const QString &auditLogAsHtml = QString(), const GpgME::Error &auditLogError = GpgME::Error());
 };
diff --git a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.cpp b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.cpp
index e9bc0a4d..803af7dd 100644
--- a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.cpp
+++ b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ Error QGpgMEExportJob::start(const QStringList &patterns)
     return Error();
 }
 
+Error QGpgMEExportJob::exec(const QStringList &patterns, QByteArray &data)
+{
+    auto mode = m_exportMode | m_additionalExportModeFlags;
+    const result_type r = export_qba(context(), patterns, mode);
+    data = std::get<1>(r);
+    return std::get<0>(r);
+}
+
 void QGpgMEExportJob::setExportFlags(unsigned int flags)
 {
     m_additionalExportModeFlags = flags;
@@ -97,4 +105,10 @@ void QGpgMEExportJob::setExportFlags(unsigned int flags)
 void ExportJob::setExportFlags(unsigned int)
 {
 }
+
+/* For ABI compat not pure virtual. */
+GpgME::Error ExportJob::exec(const QStringList &patterns, QByteArray &data)
+{
+}
+
 #include "qgpgmeexportjob.moc"
diff --git a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.h b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.h
index 272fff4d..b60b95f2 100644
--- a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.h
+++ b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeexportjob.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ public:
 
     /* from ExportJob */
     GpgME::Error start(const QStringList &patterns) override;
+    GpgME::Error exec(const QStringList &patterns, QByteArray &data) override;
 
 private:
     unsigned int m_exportMode;