diff --git a/help/export.html b/help/export.html
index 9118e72..663f09f 100644
--- a/help/export.html
+++ b/help/export.html
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ function mymodule_schema() {
 <dt>bulk export</dt>
 <dd>Declares whether or not the exportable will be available for bulk exporting.</dd>
 
+<dt>export type string</dt>
+<dd>The export type string (Local, Overridden, Database) is normally stored as $item-&gt;type. Since type is a very common keyword, it's possible to specify what key to actually use. </dd>
+
 <dt>list callback</dt>
 <dd>Bulk export callback to provide a list of exportable objects to be chosen for bulk exporting. Defaults to $module . '_' . $table . '_list' if the function exists. If it is not, a default listing function will be provided that will make a best effort to list the titles. See ctools_export_default_list().</dd>
 
@@ -189,6 +192,7 @@ Exportable objects have several reserved keys that are used by the CTools export
 <li><em>Overridden</em> is an object that lives in the database and is overriding the exported configuration of a corresponding object in code.</li>
 <li><em>Default</em> is an object that lives only in code.</li>
 </ul>
+<i>Note: This key can be changed by setting 'export type string' to something else, to try and prevent "type" from conflicting.</i>
 </dd>
 </dl>
 
diff --git a/includes/export.inc b/includes/export.inc
index fd6797a..c092527 100644
--- a/includes/export.inc
+++ b/includes/export.inc
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ function ctools_export_crud_import($table, $code) {
     // Set these defaults just the same way that ctools_export_new_object sets
     // them.
     $item->export_type = NULL;
-    $item->type = t('Local');
+    $item->{$export['export type string']} = t('Local');
 
     return $item;
   }
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ function ctools_export_load_object($table, $type = 'all', $args = array()) {
   while ($data = db_fetch_object($result)) {
     $object = _ctools_export_unpack_object($schema, $data, $export['object']);
     $object->table = $table;
-    $object->type = t('Normal');
+    $object->{$export['export type string']} = t('Normal');
     $object->export_type = EXPORT_IN_DATABASE;
     // Determine if default object is enabled or disabled.
     if (isset($status[$object->{$export['key']}])) {
@@ -423,14 +423,14 @@ function ctools_export_load_object($table, $type = 'all', $args = array()) {
       }
 
       if (!empty($cache[$table][$object->{$export['key']}])) {
-        $cache[$table][$object->{$export['key']}]->type = t('Overridden');
+        $cache[$table][$object->{$export['key']}]->{$export['export type string']} = t('Overridden');
         $cache[$table][$object->{$export['key']}]->export_type |= EXPORT_IN_CODE;
         if ($type == 'conditions') {
           $return[$object->{$export['key']}] = $cache[$table][$object->{$export['key']}];
         }
       }
       else {
-        $object->type = t('Default');
+        $object->{$export['export type string']} = t('Default');
         $object->export_type = EXPORT_IN_CODE;
         $object->in_code_only = TRUE;
         $object->table = $table;
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ function ctools_get_default_object($table, $name) {
     $object->disabled = $status[$object->{$export['key']}];
   }
 
-  $object->type = t('Default');
+  $object->{$export['export type string']} = t('Default');
   $object->export_type = EXPORT_IN_CODE;
   $object->in_code_only = TRUE;
 
@@ -772,6 +772,7 @@ function ctools_export_get_schema($table) {
       'bulk export' => TRUE,
       'list callback' => "$schema[module]_{$table}_list",
       'to hook code callback' => "$schema[module]_{$table}_to_hook_code",
+      'export type string' => 'type',
     );
 
     // If the export definition doesn't have the "primary key" then the CRUD
@@ -923,7 +924,7 @@ function ctools_export_new_object($table, $set_defaults = TRUE) {
     // We don't set the export_type property here, as this object is not saved
     // yet. We do give it NULL so we don't generate notices trying to read it.
     $object->export_type = NULL;
-    $object->type = t('Local');
+    $object->{$export['export type string']} = t('Local');
   }
   return $object;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/export_ui/ctools_export_ui.class.php b/plugins/export_ui/ctools_export_ui.class.php
index 2e1acb6..7496299 100644
--- a/plugins/export_ui/ctools_export_ui.class.php
+++ b/plugins/export_ui/ctools_export_ui.class.php
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ class ctools_export_ui {
   function list_form_submit(&$form, &$form_state) {
     // Filter and re-sort the pages.
     $plugin = $this->plugin;
+    $schema = ctools_export_get_schema($this->plugin['schema']);
 
     $prefix = ctools_export_ui_plugin_base_path($plugin);
 
@@ -356,10 +357,10 @@ class ctools_export_ui {
       $allowed_operations = drupal_map_assoc(array_keys($plugin['allowed operations']));
       $not_allowed_operations = array('import');
 
-      if ($item->type == t('Normal')) {
+      if ($item->{$schema['export']['export type string']} == t('Normal')) {
         $not_allowed_operations[] = 'revert';
       }
-      elseif ($item->type == t('Overridden')) {
+      elseif ($item->{$schema['export']['export type string']} == t('Overridden')) {
         $not_allowed_operations[] = 'delete';
       }
       else {
@@ -421,7 +422,8 @@ class ctools_export_ui {
    *   TRUE if the item should be excluded.
    */
   function list_filter($form_state, $item) {
-    if ($form_state['values']['storage'] != 'all' && $form_state['values']['storage'] != $item->type) {
+    $schema = ctools_export_get_schema($this->plugin['schema']);
+    if ($form_state['values']['storage'] != 'all' && $form_state['values']['storage'] != $item->{$schema['export']['export type string']}) {
       return TRUE;
     }
 
@@ -510,8 +512,9 @@ class ctools_export_ui {
   function list_build_row($item, &$form_state, $operations) {
     // Set up sorting
     $name = $item->{$this->plugin['export']['key']};
+    $schema = ctools_export_get_schema($this->plugin['schema']);
 
-    // Note: $item->type should have already been set up by export.inc so
+    // Note: $item->{$schema['export']['export type string']} should have already been set up by export.inc so
     // we can use it safely.
     switch ($form_state['values']['order']) {
       case 'disabled':
@@ -524,7 +527,7 @@ class ctools_export_ui {
         $this->sorts[$name] = $name;
         break;
       case 'storage':
-        $this->sorts[$name] = $item->type . $name;
+        $this->sorts[$name] = $item->{$schema['export']['export type string']} . $name;
         break;
     }
 
@@ -536,7 +539,7 @@ class ctools_export_ui {
       $this->rows[$name]['data'][] = array('data' => check_plain($item->{$this->plugin['export']['admin_title']}), 'class' => 'ctools-export-ui-title');
     }
     $this->rows[$name]['data'][] = array('data' => check_plain($name), 'class' => 'ctools-export-ui-name');
-    $this->rows[$name]['data'][] = array('data' => check_plain($item->type), 'class' => 'ctools-export-ui-storage');
+    $this->rows[$name]['data'][] = array('data' => check_plain($item->{$schema['export']['export type string']}), 'class' => 'ctools-export-ui-storage');
     $this->rows[$name]['data'][] = array('data' => theme('links', $operations), 'class' => 'ctools-export-ui-operations');
 
     // Add an automatic mouseover of the description if one exists.