diff --git a/src/components/user_settings/user_settings.js b/src/components/user_settings/user_settings.js
index cb0ad9f30a..a2a23c6fbe 100644
--- a/src/components/user_settings/user_settings.js
+++ b/src/components/user_settings/user_settings.js
@@ -238,9 +238,8 @@ const UserSettings = {
     exportFollows () {
       this.enableFollowsExport = false
       this.$store.state.api.backendInteractor
-        .fetchFriends({
-          id: this.$store.state.users.currentUser.id,
-          isExport: true
+        .exportFriends({
+          id: this.$store.state.users.currentUser.id
         })
         .then((friendList) => {
           this.exportPeople(friendList, 'friends.csv')
diff --git a/src/services/api/api.service.js b/src/services/api/api.service.js
index df9205735c..24ff0f7433 100644
--- a/src/services/api/api.service.js
+++ b/src/services/api/api.service.js
@@ -247,14 +247,18 @@ const fetchUser = ({id, credentials}) => {
     .then((data) => parseUser(data))
 }
 
-const fetchFriends = ({id, page, isExport, credentials}) => {
+const fetchFriends = ({id, page, credentials}) => {
   let url = `${FRIENDS_URL}?user_id=${id}`
   if (page) {
     url = url + `&page=${page}`
   }
-  if (isExport) {
-    url = url + `&export=${isExport}`
-  }
+  return fetch(url, { headers: authHeaders(credentials) })
+    .then((data) => data.json())
+    .then((data) => data.map(parseUser))
+}
+
+const exportFriends = ({id, credentials}) => {
+  let url = `${FRIENDS_URL}?user_id=${id}&export=true`
   return fetch(url, { headers: authHeaders(credentials) })
     .then((data) => data.json())
     .then((data) => data.map(parseUser))
@@ -539,6 +543,7 @@ const apiService = {
   fetchConversation,
   fetchStatus,
   fetchFriends,
+  exportFriends,
   fetchFollowers,
   followUser,
   unfollowUser,
diff --git a/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js b/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js
index 423aeba554..c2d1617e1f 100644
--- a/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js
+++ b/src/services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ const backendInteractorService = (credentials) => {
     return apiService.fetchFriends({id, page, isExport, credentials})
   }
 
+  const exportFriends = ({id}) => {
+    return apiService.exportFriends({id, credentials})
+  }
+
   const fetchFollowers = ({id, page}) => {
     return apiService.fetchFollowers({id, page, credentials})
   }
@@ -78,6 +82,7 @@ const backendInteractorService = (credentials) => {
     fetchStatus,
     fetchConversation,
     fetchFriends,
+    exportFriends,
     fetchFollowers,
     followUser,
     unfollowUser,