diff --git a/app/lib/activitypub/activity/update.rb b/app/lib/activitypub/activity/update.rb
index 1e98eecd58..8658684b03 100644
--- a/app/lib/activitypub/activity/update.rb
+++ b/app/lib/activitypub/activity/update.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ class ActivityPub::Activity::Update < ActivityPub::Activity
     ActivityPub::ProcessStatusUpdateService.new.call(@status, @json, @object, request_id: @options[:request_id])
 
     forward_for_conversation
+
+    @status
   end
 
   def forward_for_conversation
diff --git a/spec/services/process_references_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/process_references_service_spec.rb
index 37818b2d45..db4abf7084 100644
--- a/spec/services/process_references_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/process_references_service_spec.rb
@@ -241,6 +241,37 @@ RSpec.describe ProcessReferencesService, type: :service do
         end
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when already fetched remote post' do
+      let(:account) { Fabricate(:account, followers_url: 'http://example.com/followers', domain: 'example.com', uri: 'https://example.com/actor') }
+      let!(:remote_status) { Fabricate(:status, account: account, uri: 'https://example.com/test_post', url: 'https://example.com/test_post', text: 'Lorem ipsum') }
+      let(:object_json) do
+        {
+          id: 'https://example.com/test_post',
+          to: ActivityPub::TagManager::COLLECTIONS[:public],
+          '@context': ActivityPub::TagManager::CONTEXT,
+          type: 'Note',
+          actor: account.uri,
+          attributedTo: account.uri,
+          content: 'Lorem ipsum',
+        }
+      end
+      let(:text) { 'BT:https://example.com/test_post' }
+
+      before do
+        stub_request(:get, 'https://example.com/test_post').to_return(status: 200, body: Oj.dump(object_json), headers: { 'Content-Type' => 'application/activity+json' })
+      end
+
+      it 'reference it' do
+        expect(subject.size).to eq 1
+        expect(subject[0][1]).to eq 'BT'
+
+        status = Status.find_by(id: subject[0][0])
+        expect(status).to_not be_nil
+        expect(status.id).to eq remote_status.id
+        expect(status.url).to eq 'https://example.com/test_post'
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'editing new status' do