diff --git a/application/OpenAccessId/OpenAccessId.php b/application/OpenAccessId/OpenAccessId.php
index edaffa7ca..35ae7fff3 100644
--- a/application/OpenAccessId/OpenAccessId.php
+++ b/application/OpenAccessId/OpenAccessId.php
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ class OpenAccessId extends mfBaseModel {
         
         // update OAID export data
 
-        $exp_data_update = json_decode($this->export_data);
+        //$exp_data_update = json_decode($this->export_data);
+        $exp_data_update = $this->getExportData();
         if(!property_exists($exp_data_update, "rimo")) {
             $exp_data_update->rimo = new StdClass();
         }
@@ -310,11 +311,11 @@ class OpenAccessId extends mfBaseModel {
   
   public function getExportData($key = false) {
     if(!$this->export_data) {
-      return [];
+      return new StdClass();
     } else {
       $exdata = json_decode($this->export_data);
       if(!is_object($exdata)) {
-        return [];
+        return new StdClass();
       }
       
       if(!$key) {