diff --git a/openerp/tools/convert.py b/openerp/tools/convert.py
index 6827ad68fcf73b55a76967d722645453eba022e7..e711e3828e35bfa5457f1153161c9be5ed4eb817 100644
--- a/openerp/tools/convert.py
+++ b/openerp/tools/convert.py
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@ def _eval_xml(self, node, env):
     elif node.tag == "test":
         return node.text
 
+
+def str2bool(value):
+    return value.lower() not in ('0', 'false', 'off')
+
+
 class xml_import(object):
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -204,7 +209,7 @@ class xml_import(object):
         val = node.get(attr).strip()
         if not val:
             return default
-        return val.lower() not in ('0', 'false', 'off')
+        return str2bool(val)
 
     def isnoupdate(self, data_node=None):
         return self.noupdate or (len(data_node) and self.nodeattr2bool(data_node, 'noupdate', False))
@@ -701,6 +706,8 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
                         f_val = int(f_val)
                     elif model._fields[f_name].type in ['float', 'monetary']:
                         f_val = float(f_val)
+                    elif model._fields[f_name].type == 'boolean' and isinstance(f_val, basestring):
+                        f_val = str2bool(f_val)
             res[f_name] = f_val
 
         id = self.env(context=rec_context)['ir.model.data']._update(rec_model, self.module, res, rec_id or False, not self.isnoupdate(data_node), noupdate=self.isnoupdate(data_node), mode=self.mode)