diff --git a/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php b/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php
index 6e622ea8beb..6b0c10b34b1 100644
--- a/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php
+++ b/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ abstract class spout_base extends \core\dataformat\base {
     /** @var $sheettitle */
     protected $sheettitle;
 
+    /** @var $renamecurrentsheet */
+    protected $renamecurrentsheet = false;
+
     /**
      * Output file headers to initialise the download of the file.
      */
@@ -54,10 +57,9 @@ abstract class spout_base extends \core\dataformat\base {
         }
         $filename = $this->filename . $this->get_extension();
         $this->writer->openToBrowser($filename);
-        if ($this->sheettitle && $this->writer instanceof \Box\Spout\Writer\AbstractMultiSheetsWriter) {
-            $sheet = $this->writer->getCurrentSheet();
-            $sheet->setName($this->sheettitle);
-        }
+
+        // By default one sheet is always created, but we want to rename it when we call start_sheet().
+        $this->renamecurrentsheet = true;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -68,9 +70,6 @@ abstract class spout_base extends \core\dataformat\base {
      * @param string $title
      */
     public function set_sheettitle($title) {
-        if (!$title) {
-            return;
-        }
         $this->sheettitle = $title;
     }
 
@@ -80,6 +79,15 @@ abstract class spout_base extends \core\dataformat\base {
      * @param array $columns
      */
     public function start_sheet($columns) {
+        if ($this->sheettitle && $this->writer instanceof \Box\Spout\Writer\AbstractMultiSheetsWriter) {
+            if ($this->renamecurrentsheet) {
+                $sheet = $this->writer->getCurrentSheet();
+                $this->renamecurrentsheet = false;
+            } else {
+                $sheet = $this->writer->addNewSheetAndMakeItCurrent();
+            }
+            $sheet->setName($this->sheettitle);
+        }
         $this->writer->addRow(array_values((array)$columns));
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/tablelib.php b/lib/tablelib.php
index 4dd84f8de56..701267d4dfc 100644
--- a/lib/tablelib.php
+++ b/lib/tablelib.php
@@ -125,6 +125,12 @@ class flexible_table {
      */
     private $prefs = array();
 
+    /** @var $sheettitle */
+    protected $sheettitle;
+
+    /** @var $filename */
+    protected $filename;
+
     /**
      * Constructor
      * @param string $uniqueid all tables have to have a unique id, this is used
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@ class flexible_table {
         } else if (is_null($this->exportclass) && !empty($this->download)) {
             $this->exportclass = new table_dataformat_export_format($this, $this->download);
             if (!$this->exportclass->document_started()) {
-                $this->exportclass->start_document($this->filename);
+                $this->exportclass->start_document($this->filename, $this->sheettitle);
             }
         }
         return $this->exportclass;
@@ -1741,11 +1747,14 @@ class table_dataformat_export_format extends table_default_export_format_parent
      * Start document
      *
      * @param string $filename
+     * @param string $sheettitle
      */
-    public function start_document($filename) {
-        $this->filename = $filename;
+    public function start_document($filename, $sheettitle) {
         $this->documentstarted = true;
         $this->dataformat->set_filename($filename);
+        $this->dataformat->send_http_headers();
+        $this->dataformat->set_sheettitle($sheettitle);
+        $this->dataformat->start_output();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1755,7 +1764,6 @@ class table_dataformat_export_format extends table_default_export_format_parent
      */
     public function start_table($sheettitle) {
         $this->dataformat->set_sheettitle($sheettitle);
-        $this->dataformat->send_http_headers();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1765,7 +1773,13 @@ class table_dataformat_export_format extends table_default_export_format_parent
      */
     public function output_headers($headers) {
         $this->columns = $headers;
-        $this->dataformat->write_header($headers);
+        if (method_exists($this->dataformat, '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.');
+            $this->dataformat->write_header($headers);
+        } else {
+            $this->dataformat->start_sheet($headers);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1782,15 +1796,21 @@ class table_dataformat_export_format extends table_default_export_format_parent
      * Finish export
      */
     public function finish_table() {
-        $this->dataformat->write_footer($this->columns);
+        if (method_exists($this->dataformat, '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.');
+            $this->dataformat->write_footer($this->columns);
+        } else {
+            $this->dataformat->close_sheet($this->columns);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
      * Finish download
      */
     public function finish_document() {
-        exit;
+        $this->dataformat->close_output();
+        exit();
     }
-
 }