diff --git a/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ResearchCollectionExport/ResearchCollectionExportController.js b/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ResearchCollectionExport/ResearchCollectionExportController.js
index 3e0e4e18b8e575e77c6b3a405b3a969ed2964b54..df2a9b1fce2acd81bf794a0f7702ad527bde11a2 100644
--- a/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ResearchCollectionExport/ResearchCollectionExportController.js
+++ b/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ResearchCollectionExport/ResearchCollectionExportController.js
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ function ResearchCollectionExportController(parentController) {
 
         if (toExport.length === 0) {
             Util.showInfo('First select something to export.');
+        } else if (!this.isValid(toExport)) {
+            Util.showInfo('Not only spaces and the root should be selected. It will result in an empty export file.');
         } else if (!submissionUrl) {
             Util.showInfo('First select submission type.');
         } else {
@@ -82,6 +84,16 @@ function ResearchCollectionExportController(parentController) {
         }
     };
 
+    this.isValid = function(toExport) {
+        for (var i = 0; i < toExport.length; i++) {
+            var value = toExport[i];
+            if (value.type !== 'ROOT' && value.type !== 'SPACE' || value.expand) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    };
+
     this.waitForOpExecutionResponse = function(operationExecutionPermIdString, callbackFunction) {
         var _this = this;
         require(["as/dto/operation/id/OperationExecutionPermId",
diff --git a/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ZenodoExport/ZenodoExportController.js b/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ZenodoExport/ZenodoExportController.js
index 99e24671fe9f0906fc3c0a7deadd64992e59264c..e52004a77bce0fae2720fd7480c78e98c941fac9 100644
--- a/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ZenodoExport/ZenodoExportController.js
+++ b/openbis_standard_technologies/dist/core-plugins/eln-lims/1/as/webapps/eln-lims/html/js/views/ZenodoExport/ZenodoExportController.js
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ function ZenodoExportController(parentController) {
 
         if (toExport.length === 0) {
             Util.showInfo('First select something to export.');
+        } else if (!this.isValid(toExport)) {
+            Util.showInfo('Not only spaces and the root should be selected. It will result in an empty export file.');
         } else {
             Util.blockUI();
             this.getUserInformation(function(userInformation) {
@@ -58,6 +60,16 @@ function ZenodoExportController(parentController) {
         }
     };
 
+    this.isValid = function(toExport) {
+        for (var i = 0; i < toExport.length; i++) {
+            var value = toExport[i];
+            if (value.type !== 'ROOT' && value.type !== 'SPACE' || value.expand) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    };
+
     this.waitForOpExecutionResponse = function(operationExecutionPermIdString, callbackFunction) {
         var _this = this;
         require(['as/dto/operation/id/OperationExecutionPermId',