diff --git a/oml/changelog.py b/oml/changelog.py
index 78a7eda..45d9f63 100644
--- a/oml/changelog.py
+++ b/oml/changelog.py
@@ -159,18 +159,16 @@ class Changelog(db.Model):
             if keys:
                 key = keys[0]
                 primary = [key, meta[key]]
+        i.modified = ts2datetime(timestamp)
         if primary:
             if not meta[key] and i.meta.get('primaryid', [''])[0] == key:
                 logger.debug('remove id mapping %s %s', i.id, primary)
-                i.update_primaryid(*primary, scrape=False)
-                i.modified = ts2datetime(timestamp)
+                i.update_primaryid(*primary, scrape=False, modified=i.modified)
             elif meta[key] and i.meta.get('primaryid') != primary:
                 logger.debug('edit mapping %s %s', i.id, primary)
-                i.update_primaryid(*primary, scrape=False)
-                i.modified = ts2datetime(timestamp)
+                i.update_primaryid(*primary, scrape=False, modified=i.modified)
         else:
-            i.update_meta(meta)
-            i.modified = ts2datetime(timestamp)
+            i.update_meta(meta, modified=i.modified)
         i.save()
         user.clear_smart_list_cache()
         return True
diff --git a/oml/item/models.py b/oml/item/models.py
index 5ca2c5c..7925f12 100644
--- a/oml/item/models.py
+++ b/oml/item/models.py
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class Item(db.Model):
         'title'
     )
 
-    def update_meta(self, data):
+    def update_meta(self, data, modified=None):
         update = False
         record = {}
         for key in self.meta_keys:
@@ -279,13 +279,15 @@ class Item(db.Model):
                 update = True
         if update:
             self.update()
-            self.modified = datetime.utcnow()
+            if not modified:
+                modified = datetime.utcnow()
+            self.modified = modified
             self.save()
             user = state.user()
             if record and user in self.users:
                 Changelog.record(user, 'edititem', self.id, record)
 
-    def update_primaryid(self, key=None, id=None, scrape=True):
+    def update_primaryid(self, key=None, id=None, scrape=True, modified=None):
         if key is None and id is None:
             if 'primaryid' not in self.meta:
                 return
@@ -313,7 +315,9 @@ class Item(db.Model):
         if scrape:
             self.scrape()
         self.update_icons()
-        self.modified = datetime.utcnow()
+        if not modified:
+            modified = datetime.utcnow()
+        self.modified = modified
         self.save()
         #if not scrape:
         #    Scrape.get_or_create(self.id)