diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/config/schema/tmgmt_file.schema.yml b/translators/tmgmt_file/config/schema/tmgmt_file.schema.yml
index f3ee335..032198c 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/config/schema/tmgmt_file.schema.yml
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/config/schema/tmgmt_file.schema.yml
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ tmgmt.translator.settings.file:
     xliff_processing:
       type: boolean
       label: Xliff HTML processing
+    xliff_cdata:
+      type: boolean
+      label: Xliff CDATA
diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/FileTranslatorUi.php b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/FileTranslatorUi.php
index 38de180..43b6914 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/FileTranslatorUi.php
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/FileTranslatorUi.php
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ class FileTranslatorUi extends TranslatorPluginUiBase {
       '#description' => t('Please select the format you want to export data.'),
     );
 
+    $form['xliff_cdata'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'checkbox',
+      '#title' => t('XLIFF CDATA'),
+      '#description' => t('Check to use CDATA for import/export.'),
+      '#default_value' => $translator->getSetting('xliff_cdata'),
+    );
+
     $form['xliff_processing'] = array(
       '#type' => 'checkbox',
       '#title' => t('Extended XLIFF processing'),
@@ -41,6 +48,14 @@ class FileTranslatorUi extends TranslatorPluginUiBase {
       '#default_value' => $translator->getSetting('xliff_processing'),
     );
 
+    $form['xliff_message'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'container',
+      '#markup' => t('By selecting CDATA option, XLIFF processing will be ignored.'),
+      '#attributes' => array(
+        'class' => array('messages messages--warning'),
+      ),
+    );
+
     $form['allow_override'] = array(
       '#type' => 'checkbox',
       '#title' => t('Allow to override the format per job'),
diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Format/FormatInterface.php b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Format/FormatInterface.php
index 49c89f8..82f547b 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Format/FormatInterface.php
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Format/FormatInterface.php
@@ -33,12 +33,14 @@ interface FormatInterface {
    *
    * @param $imported_file
    *   File path to the file to be imported.
+   * @param bool $is_file
+   *   (optional) Whether $imported_file is the path to a file or not.
    *
    * @return Job
    *   Returns the corresponding translation job entity if the import file is
    *   valid, FALSE otherwise.
    */
-  function validateImport($imported_file);
+  function validateImport($imported_file, $is_file = TRUE);
 
   /**
    * Converts an exported file content back to the translated data.
diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt/Translator/FileTranslator.php b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt/Translator/FileTranslator.php
index 1a5bc86..41314af 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt/Translator/FileTranslator.php
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt/Translator/FileTranslator.php
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ class FileTranslator extends TranslatorPluginBase {
       // Making this setting TRUE by default is more appropriate, however we
       // need to make it FALSE due to backwards compatibility.
       'xliff_processing' => FALSE,
+      'xliff_cdata' => FALSE,
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Html.php b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Html.php
index 5c8a6d3..e015d41 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Html.php
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Html.php
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class Html implements FormatInterface {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function validateImport($imported_file) {
+  public function validateImport($imported_file, $is_file = TRUE) {
     $dom = new \DOMDocument();
     if (!$dom->loadHTMLFile($imported_file)) {
       return FALSE;
diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Xliff.php b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Xliff.php
index f69be91..48d76db 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Xliff.php
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Plugin/tmgmt_file/Format/Xliff.php
@@ -116,7 +116,10 @@ class Xliff extends \XMLWriter implements FormatInterface {
     $this->startElement('source');
     $this->writeAttribute('xml:lang', $this->job->getRemoteSourceLanguage());
 
-    if ($job->getSetting('xliff_processing')) {
+    if ($job->getSetting('xliff_cdata')) {
+      $this->writeCdata(trim($element['#text']));
+    }
+    elseif ($job->getSetting('xliff_processing')) {
       $this->writeRaw($this->processForExport($element['#text'], $key_array));
     }
     else {
@@ -217,14 +220,14 @@ class Xliff extends \XMLWriter implements FormatInterface {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function validateImport($imported_file) {
+  public function validateImport($imported_file, $is_file = TRUE) {
     // Validates imported XLIFF file.
     // Checks:
     // - Job ID
     // - Target ans source languages
     // - Content integrity.
 
-    $xml = $this->getImportedXML($imported_file);
+    $xml = $this->getImportedXML($imported_file, $is_file);
     if ($xml === FALSE) {
       drupal_set_message(t('The imported file is not a valid XML.'), 'error');
       return FALSE;
@@ -350,6 +353,11 @@ class Xliff extends \XMLWriter implements FormatInterface {
     if (empty($this->importedTransUnits)) {
       $reader = new \XMLReader();
       foreach ($this->importedXML->xpath('//xliff:trans-unit') as $unit) {
+        if ($job->getSetting('xliff_cdata')) {
+          $this->importedTransUnits[(string) $unit['id']]['#text'] = (string) $unit->target;
+          continue;
+        }
+
         $reader->XML($unit->target->asXML());
         $reader->read();
         $this->importedTransUnits[(string) $unit['id']]['#text'] =
diff --git a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Tests/FileTranslatorTest.php b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Tests/FileTranslatorTest.php
index f6d6c01..54e7127 100644
--- a/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Tests/FileTranslatorTest.php
+++ b/translators/tmgmt_file/src/Tests/FileTranslatorTest.php
@@ -139,6 +139,77 @@ class FileTranslatorTest extends TMGMTTestBase {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Test the CDATA option for XLIFF export and import.
+   */
+  function testXLIFFCDATA() {
+    $translator = $this->createTranslator([
+      'plugin' => 'file',
+      'settings' => [
+        'export_format' => 'xlf',
+        'xliff_cdata' => TRUE,
+      ]
+    ]);
+
+    // Get the source text.
+    $source_text = trim(file_get_contents(drupal_get_path('module', 'tmgmt') . '/tests/testing_html/sample.html'));
+
+    // Create a new job.
+    $job = $this->createJob();
+    $job->translator = $translator->id();
+    $job->addItem('test_html_source', 'test', '1');
+    $job->requestTranslation();
+    $messages = $job->getMessages();
+    $message = reset($messages);
+
+    // Get XLIFF content.
+    $variables = $message->variables;
+    $download_url = $variables->{'@link'};
+    $this->assertFalse((bool) strpos('< a', $download_url));
+    $xliff = file_get_contents($download_url);
+
+    $dom = new \DOMDocument();
+    $dom->loadXML($xliff);
+    $this->assertTrue($dom->schemaValidate(drupal_get_path('module', 'tmgmt_file') . '/xliff-core-1.2-strict.xsd'));
+
+    // "Translate" items.
+    $xml = simplexml_import_dom($dom);
+    $translated_text = array();
+    foreach ($xml->file->body->children() as $group) {
+      foreach ($group->children() as $transunit) {
+        if ($transunit->getName() == 'trans-unit') {
+          // The target should be empty.
+          $this->assertEqual($transunit->target, '');
+
+          // Update translations using CDATA.
+          $node = dom_import_simplexml($transunit->target);
+          $owner = $node->ownerDocument;
+          $node->appendChild($owner->createCDATASection($xml->file['target-language'] . '_' . (string) $transunit->source));
+
+          // Store the text to allow assertions later on.
+          $translated_text[(string) $group['id']][(string) $transunit['id']] = (string) $transunit->target;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    $translated_file = 'public://tmgmt_file/translated file.xlf';
+    $xml->asXML($translated_file);
+
+    // Import the file and check translation for the "dummy" item.
+    $edit = array(
+      'files[file]' => $translated_file,
+    );
+    $this->drupalPostForm($job->urlInfo(), $edit, t('Import'));
+
+    // Reset caches and reload job.
+    \Drupal::entityManager()->getStorage('tmgmt_job')->resetCache();
+    \Drupal::entityManager()->getStorage('tmgmt_job_item')->resetCache();
+    $job = Job::load($job->id());
+
+    $item_data = $job->getData(array(1, 'dummy', 'deep_nesting'));
+    $this->assertEqual(trim($item_data[1]['#translation']['#text']), str_replace($source_text, $xml->file['target-language'] . '_' . $source_text, $source_text));
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Gets trans-unit content from the XLIFF file that has been exported for the
    * given job as last.
    */