diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/internal.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/internal.ts
index 6d1c67e800..1562054ab4 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/internal.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/internal.ts
@@ -70,22 +70,10 @@ export async function bulkImport(
 ) {
   const table = await sdk.tables.getTable(ctx.params.tableId)
   const { rows, identifierFields } = ctx.request.body
-  await handleDataImport(
-    {
-      ...table,
-      schema: {
-        _id: {
-          name: "_id",
-          type: FieldType.STRING,
-        },
-        ...table.schema,
-      },
-    },
-    {
-      importRows: rows,
-      identifierFields,
-      user: ctx.user,
-    }
-  )
+  await handleDataImport(table, {
+    importRows: rows,
+    identifierFields,
+    user: ctx.user,
+  })
   return table
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
index b1fbd7577a..cfdd0d753a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
@@ -148,9 +148,16 @@ export function parse(rows: Rows, table: Table): Rows {
 
     Object.keys(row).forEach(columnName => {
       const columnData = row[columnName]
+
+      if (columnName === "_id") {
+        parsedRow[columnName] = columnData
+        return
+      }
+
       const schema = table.schema
       if (!(columnName in schema)) {
-        // Objects can be present in the row data but not in the schema, so make sure we don't proceed in such a case
+        // Objects can be present in the row data but not in the schema, so make
+        // sure we don't proceed in such a case
         return
       }