diff --git a/lib/dataformatlib.php b/lib/dataformatlib.php
index 36b51731002..44893cedf6f 100644
--- a/lib/dataformatlib.php
+++ b/lib/dataformatlib.php
@@ -56,7 +56,15 @@ function download_as_dataformat($filename, $dataformat, $columns, $iterator, $ca
 
     $format->set_filename($filename);
     $format->send_http_headers();
-    $format->write_header($columns);
+    // This exists to support all dataformats - see MDL-56046.
+    if (method_exists($format, 'write_header')) {
+        error_log('The function write_header() does not support multiple tables. In order to support multiple tables you ' .
+            'must implement start_output() and start_sheet() and remove write_header() in your dataformat.');
+        $format->write_header($columns);
+    } else {
+        $format->start_output();
+        $format->start_sheet($columns);
+    }
     $c = 0;
     foreach ($iterator as $row) {
         if ($callback) {
@@ -67,6 +75,14 @@ function download_as_dataformat($filename, $dataformat, $columns, $iterator, $ca
         }
         $format->write_record($row, $c++);
     }
-    $format->write_footer($columns);
+    // This exists to support all dataformats - see MDL-56046.
+    if (method_exists($format, 'write_footer')) {
+        error_log('The function write_footer() does not support multiple tables. In order to support multiple tables you ' .
+            'must implement close_sheet() and close_output() and remove write_footer() in your dataformat.');
+        $format->write_footer($columns);
+    } else {
+        $format->close_sheet($columns);
+        $format->close_output();
+    }
 }