diff --git a/app/controllers/repositories_controller.rb b/app/controllers/repositories_controller.rb
index 53b84ccd0..d1d30322b 100644
--- a/app/controllers/repositories_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/repositories_controller.rb
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ class RepositoriesController < ApplicationController
 
   def export_repository
     if params[:row_ids] && params[:header_ids]
-      generate_zip
+      RepositoryZipExport.generate_zip(params, @repository, current_user)
     else
       flash[:alert] = t('zip_export.export_error')
     end
@@ -333,66 +333,4 @@ class RepositoriesController < ApplicationController
       end
     end
   end
-
-  def generate_zip
-    # Fetch rows in the same order as in the currently viewed datatable
-    ordered_row_ids = params[:row_ids]
-    id_row_map = RepositoryRow.where(id: ordered_row_ids,
-                                     repository: @repository)
-                              .index_by(&:id)
-    ordered_rows = ordered_row_ids.collect { |id| id_row_map[id.to_i] }
-
-    zip = ZipExport.create(user: current_user)
-    zip.generate_exportable_zip(
-      current_user,
-      to_csv(ordered_rows, params[:header_ids]),
-      :repositories
-    )
-  end
-
-  def to_csv(rows, column_ids)
-    require 'csv'
-
-    # Parse column names
-    csv_header = []
-    column_ids.each do |c_id|
-      csv_header << case c_id.to_i
-                    when -1, -2
-                      next
-                    when -3
-                      I18n.t('repositories.table.row_name')
-                    when -4
-                      I18n.t('repositories.table.added_by')
-                    when -5
-                      I18n.t('repositories.table.added_on')
-                    else
-                      column = RepositoryColumn.find_by_id(c_id)
-                      column ? column.name : nil
-                    end
-    end
-
-    CSV.generate do |csv|
-      csv << csv_header
-      rows.each do |row|
-        csv_row = []
-        column_ids.each do |c_id|
-          csv_row << case c_id.to_i
-                     when -1, -2
-                       next
-                     when -3
-                       row.name
-                     when -4
-                       row.created_by.full_name
-                     when -5
-                       I18n.l(row.created_at, format: :full)
-                     else
-                       cell = row.repository_cells
-                                 .find_by(repository_column_id: c_id)
-                       cell ? cell.value.formatted : nil
-                     end
-        end
-        csv << csv_row
-      end
-    end
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/repository_list_value.rb b/app/models/repository_list_value.rb
index ae92b068b..c53856809 100644
--- a/app/models/repository_list_value.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository_list_value.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ class RepositoryListValue < ApplicationRecord
   validates :repository_cell, presence: true
 
   def formatted
-    return '' unless repository_list_item
+    data.to_s
+  end
+
+  def data
+    return nil unless repository_list_item
     repository_list_item.data
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/services/repository_zip_export.rb b/app/services/repository_zip_export.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e192540fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/repository_zip_export.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+require 'csv'
+module RepositoryZipExport
+  def self.generate_zip(params, repository, current_user)
+    # Fetch rows in the same order as in the currently viewed datatable
+    ordered_row_ids = params[:row_ids]
+    id_row_map = RepositoryRow.where(id: ordered_row_ids,
+                                     repository: repository)
+                              .index_by(&:id)
+    ordered_rows = ordered_row_ids.collect { |id| id_row_map[id.to_i] }
+
+    zip = ZipExport.create(user: current_user)
+    zip.generate_exportable_zip(
+      current_user,
+      to_csv(ordered_rows, params[:header_ids]),
+      :repositories
+    )
+  end
+
+  def self.to_csv(rows, column_ids)
+    # Parse column names
+    csv_header = []
+    column_ids.each do |c_id|
+      csv_header << case c_id.to_i
+                    when -1, -2
+                      next
+                    when -3
+                      I18n.t('repositories.table.row_name')
+                    when -4
+                      I18n.t('repositories.table.added_by')
+                    when -5
+                      I18n.t('repositories.table.added_on')
+                    else
+                      column = RepositoryColumn.find_by_id(c_id)
+                      column ? column.name : nil
+                    end
+    end
+
+    CSV.generate do |csv|
+      csv << csv_header
+      rows.each do |row|
+        csv_row = []
+        column_ids.each do |c_id|
+          csv_row << case c_id.to_i
+                     when -1, -2
+                       next
+                     when -3
+                       row.name
+                     when -4
+                       row.created_by.full_name
+                     when -5
+                       I18n.l(row.created_at, format: :full)
+                     else
+                       cell = row.repository_cells
+                                 .find_by(repository_column_id: c_id)
+                       cell ? cell.value.formatted : nil
+                     end
+        end
+        csv << csv_row
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/factories/repository_text_value.rb b/spec/factories/repository_text_value.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53aed680c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/factories/repository_text_value.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+FactoryBot.define do
+  factory :repository_text_value do
+    created_by { User.first || association(:project_user) }
+    last_modified_by { User.first || association(:project_user) }
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/lib/tasks/samples_to_repository_migration_spec.rb b/spec/lib/tasks/samples_to_repository_migration_spec.rb
index dd751779d..0845739b8 100644
--- a/spec/lib/tasks/samples_to_repository_migration_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/tasks/samples_to_repository_migration_spec.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ describe 'samples_to_repository_migration:run' do
   let!(:team) { create :team, created_by: user }
   let!(:user_team) { create :user_team, user: user, team: team }
   let!(:my_module) { create :my_module }
-  let!(:samples_table) { create :samples_table, user: user, team: team }
   let(:sample_types_names) { %w(type_one type_two type_three) }
   let(:sample_group_names) { %w(group_one group_two group_three) }
 
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_list_value_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_list_value_spec.rb
index dcae9396c..2e37af411 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_list_value_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_list_value_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ RSpec.describe RepositoryListValue, type: :model do
     it { should accept_nested_attributes_for(:repository_cell) }
   end
 
-  describe '#data' do
+  describe '#formatted' do
     let!(:repository) { create :repository }
     let!(:repository_column) { create :repository_column, name: 'My column' }
     let!(:repository_column) do
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ RSpec.describe RepositoryListValue, type: :model do
       }
     end
 
-    it 'returns the data of a selected item' do
+    it 'returns the formatted data of a selected item' do
       list_item = create :repository_list_item,
                          data: 'my item',
                          repository: repository,
@@ -71,4 +71,58 @@ RSpec.describe RepositoryListValue, type: :model do
       expect(repository_list_value.reload.formatted).to eq ''
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#data' do
+    let!(:repository) { create :repository }
+    let!(:repository_column) { create :repository_column, name: 'My column' }
+    let!(:repository_column) do
+      create :repository_column, data_type: :RepositoryListValue
+    end
+    let!(:repository_row) { create :repository_row, name: 'My row' }
+    let!(:repository_list_value) do
+      create :repository_list_value, repository_cell_attributes: {
+        repository_column: repository_column,
+        repository_row: repository_row
+      }
+    end
+
+    it 'returns the data of a selected item' do
+      list_item = create :repository_list_item,
+                         data: 'my item',
+                         repository: repository,
+                         repository_column: repository_column
+      repository_list_value.repository_list_item = list_item
+      repository_list_value.save
+      expect(repository_list_value.reload.data).to eq 'my item'
+    end
+
+    it 'retuns only the the item related to the list' do
+      repository_row_two = create :repository_row, name: 'New row'
+      repository_list_value_two =
+        create :repository_list_value, repository_cell_attributes: {
+          repository_column: repository_column,
+          repository_row: repository_row_two
+        }
+      list_item = create :repository_list_item,
+                         data: 'new item',
+                         repository: repository,
+                         repository_column: repository_column
+      repository_list_value.repository_list_item = list_item
+      expect(repository_list_value.reload.data).to_not eq 'my item'
+      expect(repository_list_value.data).to be_nil
+    end
+
+    it 'returns an empty string if no item selected' do
+      list_item = create :repository_list_item,
+                         data: 'my item',
+                         repository: repository,
+                         repository_column: repository_column
+      expect(repository_list_value.reload.data).to eq nil
+    end
+
+    it 'returns an empty string if item does not exists' do
+      repository_list_value.repository_list_item = nil
+      expect(repository_list_value.reload.data).to eq nil
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/rails_helper.rb b/spec/rails_helper.rb
index 9285d22ac..518501f4c 100644
--- a/spec/rails_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/rails_helper.rb
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
   config.after(:each) do
     DatabaseCleaner.clean
   end
+
+  config.around(:each, type: :background_job) do |example|
+    run_background_jobs_immediately do
+      example.run
+    end
+  end
+
+  config.include BackgroundJobs
   # RSpec Rails can automatically mix in different behaviours to your tests
   # based on their file location, for example enabling you to call `get` and
   # `post` in specs under `spec/controllers`.
diff --git a/spec/services/repository_zip_export_spec.rb b/spec/services/repository_zip_export_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..145e6b2a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/services/repository_zip_export_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+require 'zip'
+
+describe RepositoryZipExport, type: :background_job do
+  let(:user) { create :user }
+  let(:team) { create :team, created_by: user }
+  let(:user_team) { create :user_team, user: user, team: team }
+  let(:repository) { create :repository, team: team, created_by: user }
+  let!(:sample_group_column) do
+    create :repository_column, repository: repository,
+                               created_by: user,
+                               name: 'Sample group',
+                               data_type: 'RepositoryListValue'
+  end
+  let!(:repository_list_item) do
+    create :repository_list_item, data: 'item one',
+                                  repository: repository,
+                                  repository_column: sample_group_column
+  end
+  let!(:custom_column) do
+    create :repository_column, repository: repository,
+                               created_by: user,
+                               name: 'Custom items',
+                               data_type: 'RepositoryTextValue'
+  end
+
+  before do
+    @row_ids = []
+    10.times do |index|
+      row = create :repository_row, name: "row #{index}",
+                                    repository: repository,
+                                    created_by: user,
+                                    last_modified_by: user
+      create :repository_list_value, repository_list_item: repository_list_item,
+                                     repository_cell_attributes: {
+                                       repository_row: row,
+                                       repository_column: sample_group_column
+                                     }
+      create :repository_text_value, data: 'custum column value',
+                                     repository_cell_attributes: {
+                                       repository_row: row,
+                                       repository_column: custom_column
+                                     }
+
+      @row_ids << row.id.to_s
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#generate_zip/2' do
+    let(:params) do
+      { header_ids: ['-1',
+                     '-2',
+                     sample_group_column.id.to_s,
+                     custom_column.id.to_s,
+                     '-3',
+                     '-5',
+                     '-4'],
+        row_ids: @row_ids }
+    end
+
+    it 'generates a new zip export object' do
+      RepositoryZipExport.generate_zip(params, repository, user)
+      expect(ZipExport.count).to eq 1
+    end
+
+    it 'generates a zip with csv file with exported rows' do
+      RepositoryZipExport.generate_zip(params, repository, user)
+      zip = ZipExport.first.zip_file_file_name
+                     .gsub('export-', '')
+                     .gsub('.zip', '')
+      csv_path = Rails.root.join('tmp', "temp-zip-#{zip}", 'export.csv').to_s
+      index = 0
+      CSV.foreach(csv_path, headers: true) do |row|
+        row_hash = row.to_h
+        expect(row_hash.fetch('Sample group')).to eq 'item one'
+        expect(row_hash.fetch('Custom items')).to eq 'custum column value'
+        expect(row_hash.fetch('Name')).to eq "row #{index}"
+        index += 1
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/support/background_job.rb b/spec/support/background_job.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7cd13c2f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/background_job.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+module BackgroundJobs
+  def run_background_jobs_immediately
+    delay_jobs = Delayed::Worker.delay_jobs
+    Delayed::Worker.delay_jobs = false
+    yield
+    Delayed::Worker.delay_jobs = delay_jobs
+  end
+end