diff --git a/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/Note.java b/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/Note.java
index a73aad95a8f..1deb3f88299 100644
--- a/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/Note.java
+++ b/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/Note.java
@@ -175,17 +175,23 @@ public void addCloneParagraph(Paragraph srcParagraph) {
     Map<String, Object> config = new HashMap<>(srcParagraph.getConfig());
     Map<String, Object> param = new HashMap<>(srcParagraph.settings.getParams());
     Map<String, Input> form = new HashMap<>(srcParagraph.settings.getForms());
-    Gson gson = new Gson();
-    InterpreterResult result = gson.fromJson(
-        gson.toJson(srcParagraph.getReturn()),
-        InterpreterResult.class);
 
     newParagraph.setConfig(config);
     newParagraph.settings.setParams(param);
     newParagraph.settings.setForms(form);
     newParagraph.setText(srcParagraph.getText());
     newParagraph.setTitle(srcParagraph.getTitle());
-    newParagraph.setReturn(result, null);
+
+    try {
+      Gson gson = new Gson();
+      String resultJson = gson.toJson(srcParagraph.getReturn());
+      InterpreterResult result = gson.fromJson(resultJson, InterpreterResult.class);
+      newParagraph.setReturn(result, null);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // 'result' part of Note consists of exception, instead of actual interpreter results
+      logger.warn("Paragraph " + srcParagraph.getId() + " has a result with exception. "
+              + e.getMessage());
+    }
 
     synchronized (paragraphs) {
       paragraphs.add(newParagraph);
diff --git a/zeppelin-zengine/src/test/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/NotebookTest.java b/zeppelin-zengine/src/test/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/NotebookTest.java
index 23a4b1b40b8..457a9c790cd 100644
--- a/zeppelin-zengine/src/test/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/NotebookTest.java
+++ b/zeppelin-zengine/src/test/java/org/apache/zeppelin/notebook/NotebookTest.java
@@ -308,6 +308,31 @@ public void testAutoRestartInterpreterAfterSchedule() throws InterruptedExceptio
     notebook.refreshCron(note.id());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testExportAndImportNote() throws IOException, CloneNotSupportedException,
+          InterruptedException {
+    Note note = notebook.createNote();
+    note.getNoteReplLoader().setInterpreters(factory.getDefaultInterpreterSettingList());
+
+    final Paragraph p = note.addParagraph();
+    String simpleText = "hello world";
+    p.setText(simpleText);
+
+    note.runAll();
+    while(p.isTerminated()==false || p.getResult()==null) Thread.yield();
+
+    String exportedNoteJson = notebook.exportNote(note.getId());
+
+    Note importedNote = notebook.importNote(exportedNoteJson, "Title");
+
+    Paragraph p2 = importedNote.getParagraphs().get(0);
+
+    // Test
+    assertEquals(p.getId(), p2.getId());
+    assertEquals(p.text, p2.text);
+    assertEquals(p.getResult().message(), p2.getResult().message());
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testCloneNote() throws IOException, CloneNotSupportedException,
       InterruptedException {