diff --git a/src/activitypub/inbox.js b/src/activitypub/inbox.js
index 530edbddb4..d6598e39eb 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/inbox.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/inbox.js
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ inbox.create = async (req) => {
 	}
 };
 
+inbox.update = async (req) => {
+	const { object } = req.body;
+	const postData = await activitypub.mocks.post(object);
+
+	if (postData) {
+		await activitypub.notes.assert(1, [postData], { update: true });
+		winston.info(`[activitypub/inbox] Updating note ${postData.pid}`);
+	} else {
+		winston.warn('[activitypub/inbox] Received object was not a note');
+	}
+};
+
 inbox.follow = async (req) => {
 	// Sanity checks
 	const localUid = await helpers.resolveLocalUid(req.body.object);
diff --git a/src/activitypub/notes.js b/src/activitypub/notes.js
index 870a0364e1..893a79d62f 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/notes.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/notes.js
@@ -15,14 +15,18 @@ Notes.resolveId = async (uid, id) => {
 
 // todo: when asserted, notes aren't added to a global sorted set
 // also, db.exists call is probably expensive
-Notes.assert = async (uid, input) => {
+Notes.assert = async (uid, input, options = {}) => {
 	// Ensures that each note has been saved to the database
 	await Promise.all(input.map(async (item) => {
 		const id = activitypub.helpers.isUri(item) ? item : item.pid;
 		const key = `post:${id}`;
-		const exists = await db.exists(key);
+		let exists = await db.exists(key);
 		winston.verbose(`[activitypub/notes.assert] Asserting note id ${id}`);
 
+		if (options.update === true) {
+			exists = false;
+		}
+
 		if (!exists) {
 			let postData;
 			winston.verbose(`[activitypub/notes.assert] Not found, saving note to database`);
diff --git a/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js b/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js
index 98d58104d5..9c516f7d01 100644
--- a/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js
+++ b/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js
@@ -110,6 +110,11 @@ Controller.postInbox = async (req, res) => {
 			break;
 		}
 
+		case 'Update': {
+			await activitypub.inbox.update(req);
+			break;
+		}
+
 		case 'Follow': {
 			await activitypub.inbox.follow(req);
 			break;