diff --git a/addons/account/account.py b/addons/account/account.py
index b7c76ac892a..57e53aa55c5 100644
--- a/addons/account/account.py
+++ b/addons/account/account.py
@@ -1047,13 +1047,15 @@ class account_period(osv.osv):
         else:
             company_id = self.pool.get('res.users').browse(cr, uid, uid, context=context).company_id.id
             args.append(('company_id', '=', company_id))
-        ids = self.search(cr, uid, args, context=context)
-        if not ids:
+        result = []
+        if context.get('account_period_prefer_normal'):
+            # look for non-special periods first, and fallback to all if no result is found
+            result = self.search(cr, uid, args + [('special', '=', False)], context=context)
+        if not result:
+            result = self.search(cr, uid, args, context=context)
+        if not result:
             raise osv.except_osv(_('Error !'), _('No period defined for this date: %s !\nPlease create one.')%dt)
-        for period in self.browse(cr, uid, ids, context=context):
-            if period.date_start == period.date_stop:
-                ids.remove(period.id)
-        return ids
+        return result
 
     def action_draft(self, cr, uid, ids, *args):
         mode = 'draft'
@@ -1226,10 +1228,9 @@ class account_move(osv.osv):
         return res
 
     def _get_period(self, cr, uid, context=None):
-        periods = self.pool.get('account.period').find(cr, uid)
-        if periods:
-            return periods[0]
-        return False
+        ctx = dict(context or {}, account_period_prefer_normal=True)
+        period_ids = self.pool.get('account.period').find(cr, uid, context=ctx)
+        return period_ids[0]
 
     def _amount_compute(self, cr, uid, ids, name, args, context, where =''):
         if not ids: return {}
diff --git a/addons/account/account_invoice.py b/addons/account/account_invoice.py
index b7def8efde5..bbb002c232e 100644
--- a/addons/account/account_invoice.py
+++ b/addons/account/account_invoice.py
@@ -933,7 +933,8 @@ class account_invoice(osv.osv):
                 'narration':inv.comment
             }
             period_id = inv.period_id and inv.period_id.id or False
-            ctx.update({'company_id': inv.company_id.id})
+            ctx.update(company_id=inv.company_id.id,
+                       account_period_prefer_normal=True)
             if not period_id:
                 period_ids = period_obj.find(cr, uid, inv.date_invoice, context=ctx)
                 period_id = period_ids and period_ids[0] or False
diff --git a/addons/account/account_move_line.py b/addons/account/account_move_line.py
index c6182d9e61b..48726b9e522 100644
--- a/addons/account/account_move_line.py
+++ b/addons/account/account_move_line.py
@@ -952,7 +952,8 @@ class account_move_line(osv.osv):
         if context is None:
             context = {}
         period_pool = self.pool.get('account.period')
-        pids = period_pool.search(cr, user, [('date_start','<=',date), ('date_stop','>=',date)])
+        ctx = dict(context, account_period_prefer_normal=True)
+        pids = period_pool.find(cr, user, date, context=ctx)
         if pids:
             res.update({
                 'period_id':pids[0]