diff --git a/lib/6to5/transformation/modules/common.js b/lib/6to5/transformation/modules/common.js
index 267c4ca677..8ab054cf5d 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/transformation/modules/common.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/transformation/modules/common.js
@@ -98,14 +98,12 @@ CommonJSFormatter.prototype.export = function (node, nodes) {
     if (t.isVariableDeclaration(declar)) {
       var decl = declar.declarations[0];
 
-      if (decl.init) {
-        decl.init = util.template("exports-assign", {
-          //inherits: node,
+      decl.init = util.template("exports-assign", {
+        //inherits: node,
 
-          VALUE: decl.init,
-          KEY:   decl.id
-        });
-      }
+        VALUE: decl.init,
+        KEY:   decl.id
+      });
 
       nodes.push(declar);
     } else {
diff --git a/lib/6to5/transformation/transformers/es6-modules.js b/lib/6to5/transformation/transformers/es6-modules.js
index cfcd991f5c..3b7148cf67 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/transformation/transformers/es6-modules.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/transformation/transformers/es6-modules.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var t = require("../../types");
 var _ = require("lodash");
 
 exports.ImportDeclaration = function (node, parent, file) {
@@ -18,6 +19,13 @@ exports.ExportDeclaration = function (node, parent, file) {
   var nodes = [];
 
   if (node.declaration) {
+    // make sure variable exports have an initialiser
+    // this is done here to avoid duplicating it in the module formatters
+    if (t.isVariableDeclaration(node.declaration)) {
+      var declar = node.declaration.declarations[0];
+      declar.init = declar.init || t.identifier("undefined");
+    }
+
     file.moduleFormatter.export(node, nodes, parent);
   } else {
     _.each(node.specifiers, function (specifier) {