diff --git a/src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.js b/src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.js
index 1c8498fbf..63c9afc9b 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-// 'use strict';
-// Uncommenting above breaks tests.
+'use strict';
+
 /**
  * 2014 John McLear (Etherpad Foundation / McLear Ltd)
  *
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+const authorManager = require('../db/AuthorManager');
 const db = require('../db/DB');
 const hooks = require('../../static/js/pluginfw/hooks');
 const log4js = require('log4js');
@@ -37,25 +38,14 @@ exports.setPadRaw = async (padId, r) => {
     if (!value) {
       return;
     }
-
-    if (value.padIDs) {
-      // Author data - rewrite author pad ids
-      value.padIDs[padId] = 1;
-
-      // Does this author already exist?
-      const author = await db.get(key);
-
-      if (author) {
-        // Yes, add the padID to the author
-        if (Object.prototype.toString.call(author) === '[object Array]') {
-          author.padIDs.push(padId);
-        }
-
-        value = author;
-      } else {
-        // No, create a new array with the author info in
-        value.padIDs = [padId];
+    const keyParts = key.split(':');
+    const [prefix, id] = keyParts;
+    if (prefix === 'globalAuthor' && keyParts.length === 2) {
+      if (await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(id)) {
+        await authorManager.addPad(id, padId);
+        return;
       }
+      value.padIDs = {[padId]: 1};
     } else {
       // Not author data, probably pad data
       // we can split it to look to see if it's pad data
diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/ImportEtherpad.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/ImportEtherpad.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c32cdb858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/ImportEtherpad.js
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('assert').strict;
+const authorManager = require('../../../node/db/AuthorManager');
+const importEtherpad = require('../../../node/utils/ImportEtherpad');
+const padManager = require('../../../node/db/PadManager');
+const {randomString} = require('../../../static/js/pad_utils');
+
+describe(__filename, function () {
+  let padId;
+
+  const makeAuthorId = () => `a.${randomString(16)}`;
+
+  const makeExport = (authorId) => ({
+    'pad:testing': {
+      atext: {
+        text: 'foo\n',
+        attribs: '|1+4',
+      },
+      pool: {
+        numToAttrib: {},
+        nextNum: 0,
+      },
+      head: 0,
+      savedRevisions: [],
+    },
+    [`globalAuthor:${authorId}`]: {
+      colorId: '#000000',
+      name: 'new',
+      timestamp: 1598747784631,
+      padIDs: 'testing',
+    },
+    'pad:testing:revs:0': {
+      changeset: 'Z:1>3+3$foo',
+      meta: {
+        author: '',
+        timestamp: 1597632398288,
+        pool: {
+          numToAttrib: {},
+          nextNum: 0,
+        },
+        atext: {
+          text: 'foo\n',
+          attribs: '|1+4',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  });
+
+  beforeEach(async function () {
+    padId = randomString(10);
+    assert(!await padManager.doesPadExist(padId));
+  });
+
+  describe('author pad IDs', function () {
+    let existingAuthorId;
+    let newAuthorId;
+
+    beforeEach(async function () {
+      existingAuthorId = (await authorManager.createAuthor('existing')).authorID;
+      assert(await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(existingAuthorId));
+      assert.deepEqual((await authorManager.listPadsOfAuthor(existingAuthorId)).padIDs, []);
+      newAuthorId = makeAuthorId();
+      assert.notEqual(newAuthorId, existingAuthorId);
+      assert(!await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(newAuthorId));
+    });
+
+    it('author does not yet exist', async function () {
+      await importEtherpad.setPadRaw(padId, JSON.stringify(makeExport(newAuthorId)));
+      assert(await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(newAuthorId));
+      const author = await authorManager.getAuthor(newAuthorId);
+      assert.equal(author.name, 'new');
+      assert.equal(author.colorId, '#000000');
+      assert.deepEqual((await authorManager.listPadsOfAuthor(newAuthorId)).padIDs, [padId]);
+    });
+
+    it('author already exists, no pads', async function () {
+      newAuthorId = existingAuthorId;
+      await importEtherpad.setPadRaw(padId, JSON.stringify(makeExport(newAuthorId)));
+      assert(await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(newAuthorId));
+      const author = await authorManager.getAuthor(newAuthorId);
+      assert.equal(author.name, 'existing');
+      assert.notEqual(author.colorId, '#000000');
+      assert.deepEqual((await authorManager.listPadsOfAuthor(newAuthorId)).padIDs, [padId]);
+    });
+
+    it('author already exists, on different pad', async function () {
+      const otherPadId = randomString(10);
+      await authorManager.addPad(existingAuthorId, otherPadId);
+      newAuthorId = existingAuthorId;
+      await importEtherpad.setPadRaw(padId, JSON.stringify(makeExport(newAuthorId)));
+      assert(await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(newAuthorId));
+      const author = await authorManager.getAuthor(newAuthorId);
+      assert.equal(author.name, 'existing');
+      assert.notEqual(author.colorId, '#000000');
+      assert.deepEqual(
+          (await authorManager.listPadsOfAuthor(newAuthorId)).padIDs.sort(),
+          [otherPadId, padId].sort());
+    });
+
+    it('author already exists, on same pad', async function () {
+      await authorManager.addPad(existingAuthorId, padId);
+      newAuthorId = existingAuthorId;
+      await importEtherpad.setPadRaw(padId, JSON.stringify(makeExport(newAuthorId)));
+      assert(await authorManager.doesAuthorExist(newAuthorId));
+      const author = await authorManager.getAuthor(newAuthorId);
+      assert.equal(author.name, 'existing');
+      assert.notEqual(author.colorId, '#000000');
+      assert.deepEqual((await authorManager.listPadsOfAuthor(newAuthorId)).padIDs, [padId]);
+    });
+  });
+});