diff --git a/include/externals.php b/include/externals.php
index e7e9504a0..96644d68d 100644
--- a/include/externals.php
+++ b/include/externals.php
@@ -64,6 +64,25 @@ function externals_run($argv, $argc){
 						$results = process_delivery(array('hash' => 'undefined'), get_item_elements($message),
 							array(array('hash' => $sys['xchan_hash'])), false, true);
 						$total ++;
+						$z = q("select id from item where mid = '%s' and uid = %d limit 1",
+							dbesc($message['message_id']),
+							intval($sys['channel_id'])
+						);
+						if($z) {
+							$flag_bits = ITEM_WALL|ITEM_ORIGIN|ITEM_UPLINK;
+							// preserve the source
+
+							$r = q("update item set source_xchan = owner_xchan where id = %d limit 1",
+								intval($z[0]['id'])
+							);
+
+    						$r = q("update item set item_flags = ( item_flags | %d ), owner_xchan = '%s' 
+								where id = %d limit 1",
+								intval($flag_bits),
+								dbesc($sys['xchan_hash']),
+								intval($z[0]['id'])
+							);
+						}
 					}
 					logger('externals: import_public_posts: ' . $total . ' messages imported', LOGGER_DEBUG);
 				}