diff --git a/bin/import_xml.rng b/bin/import_xml.rng
index 241bb57d4d2..dd4ca044f80 100644
--- a/bin/import_xml.rng
+++ b/bin/import_xml.rng
@@ -203,10 +203,17 @@
     </rng:define>
 
     <rng:start>
-        <rng:element name="terp">
-            <rng:oneOrMore>
-                <rng:ref name="data" />
-            </rng:oneOrMore>
-        </rng:element>
+        <rng:choice>
+            <rng:element name="openerp">
+                <rng:oneOrMore>
+                    <rng:ref name="data" />
+                </rng:oneOrMore>
+            </rng:element>
+            <rng:element name="terp">
+                <rng:oneOrMore>
+                    <rng:ref name="data" />
+                </rng:oneOrMore>
+            </rng:element>
+        </rng:choice>
     </rng:start>
 </rng:grammar>
diff --git a/bin/tools/convert.py b/bin/tools/convert.py
index 427467b909d..c28bd57fe02 100644
--- a/bin/tools/convert.py
+++ b/bin/tools/convert.py
@@ -678,6 +678,14 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
     def parse(self, xmlstr):
         d = xml.dom.minidom.parseString(xmlstr)
         de = d.documentElement
+
+        if not de.nodeName in ['terp', 'openerp']:
+            self.logger.notifyChannel("init", netsvc.LOG_ERROR, "Mismatch xml format" )
+            raise Exception( "Mismatch xml format: only terp or openerp as root tag" )
+
+        if de.nodeName == 'terp':
+            self.logger.notifyChannel("init", netsvc.LOG_WARNING, "The tag <terp /> is deprecated, use <openerp/>")
+
         for n in [i for i in de.childNodes if (i.nodeType == i.ELEMENT_NODE and i.nodeName=="data")]:
             for rec in n.childNodes:
                 if rec.nodeType == rec.ELEMENT_NODE: