diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
index f6b75aca05..0139147e35 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import { cloneDeep } from "lodash/fp"
 import { processDates, processFormulas } from "../../../utilities/rowProcessor"
 import { db as dbCore } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import sdk from "../../../sdk"
+import { isEditableColumn } from "../../../sdk/app/tables/validation"
 
 export interface ManyRelationship {
   tableId?: string
@@ -298,8 +299,7 @@ export class ExternalRequest {
       if (
         row[key] == null ||
         newRow[key] ||
-        field.autocolumn ||
-        field.type === FieldTypes.FORMULA
+        !sdk.tables.isEditableColumn(field)
       ) {
         continue
       }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/index.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/index.ts
index 92ef3f3291..fcb32f387b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from "../../../integrations/utils"
 import { Table, Database } from "@budibase/types"
 import datasources from "../datasources"
-import { checkExternalTableSchemas } from "./validation"
+import { checkExternalTableSchemas, isEditableColumn } from "./validation"
 
 async function getAllInternalTables(db?: Database): Promise<Table[]> {
   if (!db) {
@@ -62,4 +62,5 @@ export default {
   getExternalTable,
   getTable,
   checkExternalTableSchemas,
+  isEditableColumn,
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/validation.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/validation.ts
index 98ad72ea3d..52385afb25 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/validation.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/validation.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import {
+  AutoReason,
   Datasource,
+  FieldSchema,
   FieldType,
   RelationshipTypes,
-  AutoReason,
 } from "@budibase/types"
+import { FieldTypes } from "../../../constants"
 
 function checkForeignKeysAreAutoColumns(datasource: Datasource) {
   if (!datasource.entities) {
@@ -39,7 +41,8 @@ function checkForeignKeysAreAutoColumns(datasource: Datasource) {
       const shouldBeForeign = foreignKeys.find(
         options => options.tableId === table._id && options.key === column.name
       )
-      if (shouldBeForeign) {
+      // don't change already auto-columns to it, e.g. primary keys that are foreign
+      if (shouldBeForeign && !column.autocolumn) {
         column.autocolumn = true
         column.autoReason = AutoReason.FOREIGN_KEY
       } else if (column.autoReason === AutoReason.FOREIGN_KEY) {
@@ -52,6 +55,13 @@ function checkForeignKeysAreAutoColumns(datasource: Datasource) {
   return datasource
 }
 
+export function isEditableColumn(column: FieldSchema) {
+  const isAutoColumn =
+    column.autocolumn && column.autoReason !== AutoReason.FOREIGN_KEY
+  const isFormula = column.type === FieldTypes.FORMULA
+  return !(isAutoColumn || isFormula)
+}
+
 export function checkExternalTableSchemas(datasource: Datasource) {
   return checkForeignKeysAreAutoColumns(datasource)
 }