diff --git a/Source/cmExportCommand.cxx b/Source/cmExportCommand.cxx
index 43d26f9e4..96ea77b2d 100644
--- a/Source/cmExportCommand.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmExportCommand.cxx
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ bool cmExportCommand
           this->SetError(e.str());
           return false;
           }
+        if (target->GetType() == cmTarget::UTILITY)
+          {
+          this->SetError("given custom target \"" + *currentTarget
+                         + "\" which may not be exported.");
+          return false;
+          }
         }
       else
         {
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget-result.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget-result.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d00491fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget-result.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57a9af368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+^CMake Error at CustomTarget.cmake:[0-9]+ \(export\):
+  export given custom target "CustomTarget" which may not be exported.
+Call Stack \(most recent call first\):
+  CMakeLists.txt:3 \(include\)$
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d2bf18db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/export/CustomTarget.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+add_custom_target(CustomTarget)
+export(TARGETS CustomTarget FILE somefile.cmake)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/export/RunCMakeTest.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/export/RunCMakeTest.cmake
index 4b04f1858..6d0b7ca7c 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/export/RunCMakeTest.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/export/RunCMakeTest.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 include(RunCMake)
 
+run_cmake(CustomTarget)
 run_cmake(TargetNotFound)
 run_cmake(AppendExport)
 run_cmake(OldIface)