diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Import.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Import.js.erb
index bfce14bd..f30f65e5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Import.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Import.js.erb
@@ -34,14 +34,17 @@ Metamaps.Import = {
 
   init: function() {
     var self = Metamaps.Import;
+
     $('body').bind('paste', function(e) {
+      if (e.target.tagName === "INPUT") return;
+
       var text = e.originalEvent.clipboardData.getData('text/plain');
 
       var results;
       if (text[0] === '{') {
         try {
           results = JSON.parse(text);
-        } catch (Error e) {
+        } catch (e) {
           results = false;
         }
       } else {
@@ -63,12 +66,11 @@ Metamaps.Import = {
   },
 
   abort: function(message) {
-    alert("Sorry, something went wrong!\n\n" + message);
     console.error(message);
   },
 
 	simplify: function(string) {
-		return string
+		return string;
       .replace(/(^\s*|\s*$)/g, '')
       .toLowerCase();
 	},
@@ -237,10 +239,28 @@ Metamaps.Import = {
     var self = Metamaps.Import;
 
     parsedSynapses.forEach(function(synapse) {
-      self.createSynapseWithParameters(
-        synapse.desc, synapse.category, synapse.permission,
-        synapse.topic1, synapse.topic2
-      );
+      //only createSynapseWithParameters once both topics are persisted
+      var topic1 = Metamaps.Topics.get(self.cidMappings[node1_id]);
+      var topic2 = Metamaps.Topics.get(self.cidMappings[node2_id]);
+      var synapse_created = false
+      topic1.once('sync', function() {
+        if (topic1.id && topic2.id && !synapse_created) {
+          synaprse_created = true
+          self.createSynapseWithParameters(
+            synapse.desc, synapse.category, synapse.permission,
+            topic1, topic2
+          );
+        }//if
+      });
+      topic2.once('sync', function() {
+        if (topic1.id && topic2.id && !synapse_created) {
+          synaprse_created = true
+          self.createSynapseWithParameters(
+            synapse.desc, synapse.category, synapse.permission,
+            topic1, topic2
+          );
+        }//if
+      });
     });
   },
 
@@ -277,26 +297,30 @@ Metamaps.Import = {
   },
 
   createSynapseWithParameters: function(description, category, permission,
-                                        node1_id, node2_id) {
+                                        topic1, topic2) {
     var self = Metamaps.Import;
-    var topic1 = Metamaps.Topics.get(self.cidMappings[node1_id]);
-    var topic2 = Metamaps.Topics.get(self.cidMappings[node2_id]);
     var node1 = topic1.get('node');
     var node2 = topic2.get('node');
-    // TODO check if topic1 and topic2 were sucessfully found...
+
+    if (!topic1.id || !topic2.id) {
+      console.error("missing topic id when creating synapse")
+      return;
+    }//if
 
     var synapse = new Metamaps.Backbone.Synapse({
       desc: description,
       category: category,
       permission: permission,
-      node1_id: node1.id,
-      node2_id: node2.id,
+      node1_id: topic1.id,
+      node2_id: topic2.id
     });
+    Metamaps.Synapses.add(synapse);
 
     var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
       mappable_type: "Synapse",
-      mappable_id: synapse.id,
+      mappable_id: synapse.cid,
     });
+    Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping);
 
     Metamaps.Synapse.renderSynapse(mapping, synapse, node1, node2, true);
   },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.js.erb
index 85b12d48..7a9d803b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.js.erb
@@ -4683,7 +4683,7 @@ Metamaps.Synapse = {
             node1 = synapsesToCreate[i];
             topic1 = node1.getData('topic');
             synapse = new Metamaps.Backbone.Synapse({
-                desc: Metamaps.Create.newSynapse.description,// || "",
+                desc: Metamaps.Create.newSynapse.description,
                 node1_id: topic1.isNew() ? topic1.cid : topic1.id,
                 node2_id: topic2.isNew() ? topic2.cid : topic2.id,
             });