diff --git a/CondCore/Utilities/scripts/conddb b/CondCore/Utilities/scripts/conddb
index 862209888895a..a72ff3db7cfb8 100755
--- a/CondCore/Utilities/scripts/conddb
+++ b/CondCore/Utilities/scripts/conddb
@@ -2555,16 +2555,16 @@ def dump(args):
             filter(IOV.tag_name == name).\
             distinct():
             if args.format == 'xml':
-                xmlProcessor.payload2xml(session, payload)
+                xmlProcessor.payload2xml(session, payload, args.destfile)
             else:
                 _dump_payload(session, payload, args.loadonly)
 
-    elif args.type == 'gt' and _exists(session, conddb.GlobalTag.name, name) != None:
+    elif args.type == 'gt' and _exists(session, GlobalTag.name, name) != None:
         for payload, in session.query(IOV.payload_hash).\
             filter(GlobalTagMap.global_tag_name == name, IOV.tag_name == GlobalTagMap.tag_name).\
             distinct():
             if args.format == 'xml':
-                xmlProcessor.payload2xml(session, payload)
+                xmlProcessor.payload2xml(session, payload, args.destfile)
             else:
                 _dump_payload(session, payload, args.loadonly)
 
diff --git a/CondCore/Utilities/test/test_conddb.sh b/CondCore/Utilities/test/test_conddb.sh
index 3858ce8f79bb3..aedac38dc0ce5 100755
--- a/CondCore/Utilities/test/test_conddb.sh
+++ b/CondCore/Utilities/test/test_conddb.sh
@@ -43,7 +43,12 @@ conddb diffGlobalTagsAtRun -R 120X_mcRun3_2021_realistic_v1 -T 120X_mcRun3_2021_
 echo -ne '\n\n'
 
 echo "===========> testing conddb dump"
-conddb dump 4b97f78682aac6254bbcba54cedbde468202bf5b || die 'failed comparing metadata with reference' $?
+conddb dump 4b97f78682aac6254bbcba54cedbde468202bf5b || die 'failed conddb dump payload' $?
+conddb dump 4b97f78682aac6254bbcba54cedbde468202bf5b --destfile payload_dump.xml || die 'failed conddb dump payload to file' $?
+conddb dump SiPixelQuality_phase1_2021_v1 || die 'failed conddb dump tag' $?
+conddb dump SiPixelQuality_phase1_2021_v1 --destfile tag_dump.xml || die 'failed conddb dump tag to file' $?
+conddb dump Test_CMSSW_IB_unitTest_v1 || die 'failed conddb dump gt' $?
+conddb dump Test_CMSSW_IB_unitTest_v1 --destfile gt_dump.xml || die 'failed conddb dump gt to file' $?
 echo -ne '\n\n'
 
 #conddb showFCSR || die 'failed conddb showFCSR' $?  # the FCSR is not always a real run...