diff --git a/core/server/api/utils.js b/core/server/api/utils.js
index 6c2ee9603d..d31cdae9f4 100644
--- a/core/server/api/utils.js
+++ b/core/server/api/utils.js
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ utils = {
         if (_.isEmpty(object) || _.isEmpty(object[docName]) || _.isEmpty(object[docName][0])) {
             return when.reject(new errors.BadRequestError('No root key (\'' + docName + '\') provided.'));
         }
+
+        // convert author property to author_id to match the name in the database
+        // TODO: rename object in database
+        if (docName === 'posts') {
+            if (object.posts[0].hasOwnProperty('author')) {
+                object.posts[0].author_id = object.posts[0].author;
+                delete object.posts[0].author;
+            }
+        }
         return when.resolve(object);
     }
 };
diff --git a/core/test/functional/routes/api/posts_test.js b/core/test/functional/routes/api/posts_test.js
index 904e68a46a..7b0bcdf563 100644
--- a/core/test/functional/routes/api/posts_test.js
+++ b/core/test/functional/routes/api/posts_test.js
@@ -438,9 +438,11 @@ describe('Post API', function () {
                     }
 
                     var jsonResponse = res.body,
-                        changedValue = 'My new Title';
+                        changedTitle = 'My new Title',
+                        changedAuthor = 2;
                     jsonResponse.posts[0].should.exist;
-                    jsonResponse.posts[0].title = changedValue;
+                    jsonResponse.posts[0].title = changedTitle;
+                    jsonResponse.posts[0].author = changedAuthor;
 
                     request.put(testUtils.API.getApiQuery('posts/1/'))
                         .set('Authorization', 'Bearer ' + accesstoken)
@@ -455,7 +457,8 @@ describe('Post API', function () {
                             var putBody = res.body;
                             _.has(res.headers, 'x-cache-invalidate').should.equal(true);
                             putBody.should.exist;
-                            putBody.posts[0].title.should.eql(changedValue);
+                            putBody.posts[0].title.should.eql(changedTitle);
+                            putBody.posts[0].author.should.eql(changedAuthor);
 
                             testUtils.API.checkResponse(putBody.posts[0], 'post');
                             done();