diff --git a/blocks/rss_client/backup/moodle1/lib.php b/blocks/rss_client/backup/moodle1/lib.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..95da634ac0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/rss_client/backup/moodle1/lib.php
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Provides support for the conversion of moodle1 backup to the moodle2 format
+ *
+ * @package    block_rss_client
+ * @copyright  2012 Paul Nicholls
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+/**
+ * Block conversion handler for rss_client
+ */
+class moodle1_block_rss_client_handler extends moodle1_block_handler {
+    public function process_block(array $data) {
+        parent::process_block($data);
+        $instanceid = $data['id'];
+        $contextid = $this->converter->get_contextid(CONTEXT_BLOCK, $data['id']);
+
+        // Moodle 1.9 backups do not include sufficient data to restore feeds, so we need an empty shell rss_client.xml
+        // for the restore process to find
+        $this->open_xml_writer("course/blocks/{$data['name']}_{$instanceid}/rss_client.xml");
+        $this->xmlwriter->begin_tag('block', array('id' => $instanceid, 'contextid' => $contextid, 'blockname' => 'rss_client'));
+        $this->xmlwriter->begin_tag('rss_client', array('id' => $instanceid));
+        $this->xmlwriter->full_tag('feeds', '');
+        $this->xmlwriter->end_tag('rss_client');
+        $this->xmlwriter->end_tag('block');
+        $this->close_xml_writer();
+
+        return $data;
+    }
+}
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