diff --git a/openerp/tools/convert.py b/openerp/tools/convert.py
index 6f91a955cc6..5536f311eb8 100644
--- a/openerp/tools/convert.py
+++ b/openerp/tools/convert.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ from yaml_import import convert_yaml_import
 # List of etree._Element subclasses that we choose to ignore when parsing XML.
 from misc import SKIPPED_ELEMENT_TYPES
 
+from misc import unquote
+
 # Import of XML records requires the unsafe eval as well,
 # almost everywhere, which is ok because it supposedly comes
 # from trusted data, but at least we make it obvious now.
@@ -439,7 +441,21 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
         limit = rec.get('limit','').encode('utf-8')
         auto_refresh = rec.get('auto_refresh','').encode('utf-8')
         uid = self.uid
-        active_id = str("active_id") # for further reference in client/bin/tools/__init__.py
+
+        # Act_window's 'domain' and 'context' contain mostly literals
+        # but they can also refer to the variables provided below
+        # in eval_context, so we need to eval() them before storing.
+        # Among the context variables, 'active_id' refers to
+        # the currently selected items in a list view, and only
+        # takes meaning at runtime on the client side. For this
+        # reason it must remain a bare variable in domain and context,
+        # even after eval() at server-side. We use the special 'unquote'
+        # class to achieve this effect: a string which has itself, unquoted,
+        # as representation.
+        active_id = unquote("active_id")
+        active_ids = unquote("active_ids")
+        active_model = unquote("active_model")
+
         def ref(str_id):
             return self.id_get(cr, str_id)
 
@@ -459,6 +475,8 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
             'auto_refresh': auto_refresh,
             'uid' : uid,
             'active_id': active_id,
+            'active_ids': active_ids,
+            'active_model': active_model,
             'ref' : ref,
         }
         context = self.get_context(data_node, rec, eval_context)
diff --git a/openerp/tools/misc.py b/openerp/tools/misc.py
index cd817fa796a..1524d95d922 100644
--- a/openerp/tools/misc.py
+++ b/openerp/tools/misc.py
@@ -1439,6 +1439,23 @@ def attrgetter(*items):
             return tuple(resolve_attr(obj, attr) for attr in items)
     return g
 
+class unquote(str):
+    """A subclass of str that implements repr() without enclosing quotation marks
+       or escaping, keeping the original string untouched. The name come from Lisp's unquote.
+       One of the uses for this is to preserve or insert bare variable names within dicts during eval()
+       of a dict's repr(). Use with care.
+       Some examples:
+       >>> unquote('active_id')
+       active_id
+       >>> repr(unquote('active_id'))
+       active_id
+       >>> d = {'test': unquote('active_id')}
+       >>> d
+       {'test': active_id}
+       >>> repr(d)
+       "{'test': active_id}"
+    """
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return self
 
 # vim:expandtab:smartindent:tabstop=4:softtabstop=4:shiftwidth=4:
-