diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts
index c17cbae86f..7410ca5dbf 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ function convertBooleans(query: SqlQuery | SqlQuery[]): SqlQuery | SqlQuery[] {
   return query
 }
 
+const COMPLEX_ID_OPERATOR = "_complexIdOperator"
+
 class InternalBuilder {
   private readonly client: string
 
@@ -214,7 +216,14 @@ class InternalBuilder {
       for (let [key, value] of Object.entries(structure)) {
         const updatedKey = dbCore.removeKeyNumbering(key)
         const isRelationshipField = updatedKey.includes(".")
-        if (!opts.relationship && !isRelationshipField) {
+
+        if (updatedKey === COMPLEX_ID_OPERATOR) {
+          const alias = getTableAlias(tableName)
+          fn(
+            value.id.map((x: string) => (alias ? `${alias}.${x}` : x)),
+            value.values
+          )
+        } else if (!opts.relationship && !isRelationshipField) {
           const alias = getTableAlias(tableName)
           fn(alias ? `${alias}.${updatedKey}` : updatedKey, value)
         } else if (opts.relationship && isRelationshipField) {
@@ -745,6 +754,9 @@ class InternalBuilder {
 
 class SqlQueryBuilder extends SqlTableQueryBuilder {
   private readonly limit: number
+
+  public static COMPLEX_ID_OPERATOR = COMPLEX_ID_OPERATOR
+
   // pass through client to get flavour of SQL
   constructor(client: string, limit: number = BASE_LIMIT) {
     super(client)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
index b51de46e99..a50297f7b0 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import {
 } from "../../../sdk/app/rows/utils"
 import { processObjectSync } from "@budibase/string-templates"
 import { cloneDeep } from "lodash/fp"
-import { db as dbCore } from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import { db as dbCore, sql } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import sdk from "../../../sdk"
 import env from "../../../environment"
 import { makeExternalQuery } from "../../../integrations/base/query"
@@ -193,11 +193,26 @@ export class ExternalRequest<T extends Operation> {
         for (let field of Object.keys(operator || {})) {
           if (dbCore.removeKeyNumbering(field) === "_id") {
             if (primary) {
-              const parts = breakRowIdField(operator[field])
-              for (let field of primary) {
-                operator[`${prefix}:${field}`] = parts.shift()
+              let idField = operator[field]
+              try {
+                // Make sure _id queries decode the Row IDs
+                idField = JSON.parse(idField)
+              } catch {
+                // It is not a JSON value
+              }
+
+              const parts = breakRowIdField(idField)
+              if (primary.length > 1) {
+                operator[sql.Sql.COMPLEX_ID_OPERATOR] = {
+                  id: primary,
+                  values: parts,
+                }
+              } else {
+                for (let field of primary) {
+                  operator[`${prefix}:${field}`] = parts.shift()
+                }
+                prefix++
               }
-              prefix++
             }
             // make sure this field doesn't exist on any filter
             delete operator[field]
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
index d92438a310..9628757d16 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
@@ -1428,22 +1428,6 @@ describe.each([
       expect(row._id).toEqual(existing._id)
     })
 
-    it("should return an error on composite keys", async () => {
-      const existing = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, {})
-      await config.api.row.exportRows(
-        table._id!,
-        {
-          rows: [`['${existing._id!}']`, "['d001', '10111']"],
-        },
-        {
-          status: 400,
-          body: {
-            message: "Export data does not support composite keys.",
-          },
-        }
-      )
-    })
-
     it("should return an error if no table is found", async () => {
       const existing = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, {})
       await config.api.row.exportRows(
@@ -1453,7 +1437,7 @@ describe.each([
       )
     })
 
-    it("can export rows with composite primary keys", async () => {
+    it("should handle filtering by composite primary keys", async () => {
       const tableRequest = saveTableRequest({
         primary: ["number", "string"],
         schema: {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts
index 93c46d8cc3..84306f572f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts
@@ -158,10 +158,7 @@ export async function exportRows(
         _id: rowIds.map((row: string) => {
           const ids = breakRowIdField(row)
           if (ids.length > 1) {
-            throw new HTTPError(
-              "Export data does not support composite keys.",
-              400
-            )
+            return ids
           }
           return ids[0]
         }),