diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts
index 8c8990a4aaa..9467f3929c3 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ export type Export = {
   page?: number
   slug: string
   sort: Sort
-  user: string
-  userCollection: string
   where?: Where
 }
 
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ export type CreateExportArgs = {
   download?: boolean
   input: Export
   req: PayloadRequest
-  user?: TypedUser
+  user?: null | TypedUser
 }
 
 export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
@@ -59,15 +57,19 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
       format,
       locale: localeInput,
       sort,
-      user,
       page,
       limit: incomingLimit,
       where,
     },
     req: { locale: localeArg, payload },
     req,
+    user,
   } = args
 
+  if (!user) {
+    throw new APIError('User authentication is required to create exports')
+  }
+
   if (debug) {
     req.payload.logger.debug({
       message: 'Starting export process with args:',
diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts
index 31033799d7c..8cf38941f70 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ export const download = async (req: PayloadRequest, debug = false) => {
     const { collectionSlug } = body.data || {}
 
     req.payload.logger.info(`Download request received ${collectionSlug}`)
-    body.data.user = req.user
 
     const res = await createExport({
       download: true,
       input: { ...body.data, debug },
       req,
+      user: req.user,
     })
 
     return res as Response
diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/getCreateExportCollectionTask.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/getCreateExportCollectionTask.ts
index 893caf8cd17..8885146b79d 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/getCreateExportCollectionTask.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/getCreateExportCollectionTask.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,26 @@
-import type { Config, TaskConfig, TypedUser } from 'payload'
+import type { Config, PayloadRequest, TaskConfig, TypedUser } from 'payload'
 
 import type { ImportExportPluginConfig } from '../types.js'
-import type { CreateExportArgs, Export } from './createExport.js'
+import type { Export } from './createExport.js'
 
 import { createExport } from './createExport.js'
 import { getFields } from './getFields.js'
 
+/**
+ * Export input type for job queue serialization.
+ * When exports are queued as jobs, the user must be serialized as an ID string or number
+ * along with the collection name so it can be rehydrated when the job runs.
+ */
+export type ExportJobInput = {
+  user: number | string
+  userCollection: string
+} & Export
+
 export const getCreateCollectionExportTask = (
   config: Config,
   pluginConfig?: ImportExportPluginConfig,
 ): TaskConfig<{
-  input: Export
+  input: ExportJobInput
   output: object
 }> => {
   const inputSchema = getFields(config, pluginConfig).concat(
@@ -30,7 +40,7 @@ export const getCreateCollectionExportTask = (
 
   return {
     slug: 'createCollectionExport',
-    handler: async ({ input, req }: CreateExportArgs) => {
+    handler: async ({ input, req }: { input: ExportJobInput; req: PayloadRequest }) => {
       let user: TypedUser | undefined
 
       if (input.userCollection && input.user) {
@@ -38,13 +48,18 @@ export const getCreateCollectionExportTask = (
           id: input.user,
           collection: input.userCollection,
         })) as TypedUser
+
+        req.user = user
       }
 
       if (!user) {
         throw new Error('User not found')
       }
 
-      await createExport({ input, req, user })
+      // Strip out user and userCollection from input - they're only needed for rehydration
+      const { user: _userId, userCollection: _userCollection, ...exportInput } = input
+
+      await createExport({ input: exportInput, req, user })
 
       return {
         output: {},
diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts
index c25b64824b7..bac551b8c3d 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export const getExportCollection = ({
       }
       const { user } = req
       const debug = pluginConfig.debug
-      await createExport({ input: { ...args.data, debug, user }, req })
+      await createExport({ input: { ...args.data, debug }, req, user })
     })
   } else {
     afterChange.push(async ({ doc, operation, req }) => {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export const getExportCollection = ({
         ...doc,
         exportsCollection: collection.slug,
         user: req?.user?.id || req?.user?.user?.id,
-        userCollection: 'users',
+        userCollection: req.payload.config.admin.user,
       }
       await req.payload.jobs.queue({
         input,