diff --git a/C4/ImportBatch.pm b/C4/ImportBatch.pm
index 3ce5c67e59..52d4c05e89 100644
--- a/C4/ImportBatch.pm
+++ b/C4/ImportBatch.pm
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ sub BatchFindDuplicates {
 
 =head2 BatchCommitRecords
 
-  my ($num_added, $num_updated, $num_items_added, $num_items_errored, $num_ignored) =
+  my ($num_added, $num_updated, $num_items_added, $num_items_replaced, $num_items_errored, $num_ignored) =
         BatchCommitRecords($batch_id, $framework,
         $progress_interval, $progress_callback);
 
@@ -539,6 +539,7 @@ sub BatchCommitRecords {
     my $num_added = 0;
     my $num_updated = 0;
     my $num_items_added = 0;
+    my $num_items_replaced = 0;
     my $num_items_errored = 0;
     my $num_ignored = 0;
     # commit (i.e., save, all records in the batch)
@@ -598,9 +599,10 @@ sub BatchCommitRecords {
                 my $biblioitemnumber;
                 ($recordid, $biblioitemnumber) = AddBiblio($marc_record, $framework);
                 $query = "UPDATE import_biblios SET matched_biblionumber = ? WHERE import_record_id = ?";
-                if ($item_result eq 'create_new') {
-                    my ($bib_items_added, $bib_items_errored) = BatchCommitItems($rowref->{'import_record_id'}, $recordid);
+                if ($item_result eq 'create_new' || $item_result eq 'replace') {
+                    my ($bib_items_added, $bib_items_replaced, $bib_items_errored) = BatchCommitItems($rowref->{'import_record_id'}, $recordid, $item_result);
                     $num_items_added += $bib_items_added;
+                    $num_items_replaced += $bib_items_replaced;
                     $num_items_errored += $bib_items_errored;
                 }
             } else {
@@ -631,9 +633,10 @@ sub BatchCommitRecords {
                 ModBiblio($marc_record, $recordid, $oldbiblio->{'frameworkcode'});
                 $query = "UPDATE import_biblios SET matched_biblionumber = ? WHERE import_record_id = ?";
 
-                if ($item_result eq 'create_new') {
-                    my ($bib_items_added, $bib_items_errored) = BatchCommitItems($rowref->{'import_record_id'}, $recordid);
+                if ($item_result eq 'create_new' || $item_result eq 'replace') {
+                    my ($bib_items_added, $bib_items_replaced, $bib_items_errored) = BatchCommitItems($rowref->{'import_record_id'}, $recordid, $item_result);
                     $num_items_added += $bib_items_added;
+                    $num_items_replaced += $bib_items_replaced;
                     $num_items_errored += $bib_items_errored;
                 }
             } else {
@@ -654,8 +657,9 @@ sub BatchCommitRecords {
             $num_ignored++;
             $recordid = $record_match;
             if ($record_type eq 'biblio' and defined $recordid and $item_result eq 'create_new') {
-                my ($bib_items_added, $bib_items_errored) = BatchCommitItems($rowref->{'import_record_id'}, $recordid);
+                my ($bib_items_added, $bib_items_replaced, $bib_items_errored) = BatchCommitItems($rowref->{'import_record_id'}, $recordid, $item_result);
                 $num_items_added += $bib_items_added;
+         $num_items_replaced += $bib_items_replaced;
                 $num_items_errored += $bib_items_errored;
                 # still need to record the matched biblionumber so that the
                 # items can be reverted
@@ -668,7 +672,7 @@ sub BatchCommitRecords {
     }
     $sth->finish();
     SetImportBatchStatus($batch_id, 'imported');
-    return ($num_added, $num_updated, $num_items_added, $num_items_errored, $num_ignored);
+    return ($num_added, $num_updated, $num_items_added, $num_items_replaced, $num_items_errored, $num_ignored);
 }
 
 =head2 BatchCommitItems
@@ -679,12 +683,11 @@ sub BatchCommitRecords {
 =cut
 
 sub BatchCommitItems {
-    my ($import_record_id, $biblionumber) = @_;
+    my ($import_record_id, $biblionumber, $action) = @_;
 
     my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
 
-    my $num_items_added = 0;
-    my $num_items_errored = 0;
+    my ($num_items_added, $num_items_errored, $num_items_replaced) = 0;
     my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT import_items_id, import_items.marcxml, encoding
                              FROM import_items
                              JOIN import_records USING (import_record_id)
@@ -694,11 +697,24 @@ sub BatchCommitItems {
     $sth->execute();
     while (my $row = $sth->fetchrow_hashref()) {
         my $item_marc = MARC::Record->new_from_xml(StripNonXmlChars($row->{'marcxml'}), 'UTF-8', $row->{'encoding'});
+    #delete date_due subfield as to not accidentally delete item checkout due dates
+        my ($MARCfield,$MARCsubfield) = GetMarcFromKohaField('items.onloan', GetFrameworkCode($biblionumber));
+ $item_marc->field($MARCfield)->delete_subfield(code => $MARCsubfield);
         # FIXME - duplicate barcode check needs to become part of AddItemFromMarc()
         my $item = TransformMarcToKoha($dbh, $item_marc);
         my $duplicate_barcode = exists($item->{'barcode'}) && GetItemnumberFromBarcode($item->{'barcode'});
-        if ($duplicate_barcode) {
-            my $updsth = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE import_items SET status = ?, import_error = ? WHERE import_items_id = ?");
+        my $duplicate_itemnumber = exists($item->{'itemnumber'});
+     my $updsth = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE import_items SET status = ?, itemnumber = ? WHERE import_items_id = ?");
+    if($action eq "replace" && $duplicate_itemnumber){
+         ModItemFromMarc($item_marc, $biblionumber, $item->{itemnumber});
+            $updsth->bind_param(1, 'imported');
+            $updsth->bind_param(2, $item->{itemnumber});
+            $updsth->bind_param(3, $row->{'import_items_id'});
+            $updsth->execute();
+            $updsth->finish();
+        $num_items_replaced++;
+     }
+        elsif ($duplicate_barcode) {
             $updsth->bind_param(1, 'error');
             $updsth->bind_param(2, 'duplicate item barcode');
             $updsth->bind_param(3, $row->{'import_items_id'});
@@ -706,7 +722,6 @@ sub BatchCommitItems {
             $num_items_errored++;
         } else {
             my ($item_biblionumber, $biblioitemnumber, $itemnumber) = AddItemFromMarc($item_marc, $biblionumber);
-            my $updsth = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE import_items SET status = ?, itemnumber = ? WHERE import_items_id = ?");
             $updsth->bind_param(1, 'imported');
             $updsth->bind_param(2, $itemnumber);
             $updsth->bind_param(3, $row->{'import_items_id'});
@@ -716,7 +731,7 @@ sub BatchCommitItems {
         }
     }
     $sth->finish();
-    return ($num_items_added, $num_items_errored);
+    return ($num_items_added, $num_items_replaced, $num_items_errored);
 }
 
 =head2 BatchRevertRecords
@@ -1467,7 +1482,15 @@ sub _get_commit_action {
             } elsif ($overlay_action eq 'ignore') {
                 $bib_result  = 'ignore';
             }
-            $item_result = ($item_action eq 'always_add' or $item_action eq 'add_only_for_matches') ? 'create_new' : 'ignore';
+         if($item_action eq 'always_add' or $item_action eq 'add_only_for_matches'){
+                $item_result = 'create_new';
+       }
+      elsif($item_action eq 'replace'){
+          $item_result = 'replace';
+          }
+      else {
+             $item_result = 'ignore';
+           }
         } else {
             $bib_result = $nomatch_action;
             $item_result = ($item_action eq 'always_add' or $item_action eq 'add_only_for_new')     ? 'create_new' : 'ignore';
diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql b/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql
index 17615c5788..a6a779e97d 100644
--- a/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/kohastructure.sql
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `import_batches` ( -- information about batches of marc records tha
   `upload_timestamp` timestamp NOT NULL default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, -- date and time the file was uploaded
   `overlay_action` enum('replace', 'create_new', 'use_template', 'ignore') NOT NULL default 'create_new', -- how to handle duplicate records
   `nomatch_action` enum('create_new', 'ignore') NOT NULL default 'create_new', -- how to handle records where no match is found
-  `item_action` enum('always_add', 'add_only_for_matches', 'add_only_for_new', 'ignore') NOT NULL default 'always_add', -- what to do with item records
+  `item_action` enum('always_add', 'add_only_for_matches', 'add_only_for_new', 'ignore', 'replace') NOT NULL default 'always_add', -- what to do with item records
   `import_status` enum('staging', 'staged', 'importing', 'imported', 'reverting', 'reverted', 'cleaned') NOT NULL default 'staging', -- the status of the imported file
   `batch_type` enum('batch', 'z3950', 'webservice') NOT NULL default 'batch', -- where this batch has come from
   `record_type` enum('biblio', 'auth', 'holdings') NOT NULL default 'biblio', -- type of record in the batch
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/tools-item-action.inc b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/tools-item-action.inc
index 0c8d37b003..9b5486980d 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/tools-item-action.inc
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/tools-item-action.inc
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@
                 <option value="add_only_for_new">
             [% END %]
                 Add items only if no matching bib was found</option>
+            [% IF ( item_action_replace ) %]
+                <option value="replace" selected="selected">
+            [% ELSE %]
+                <option value="replace">
+            [% END %]
+                Replace items if matching bib was found (only for existing items)</option>
             [% IF ( item_action_ignore ) %]
                 <option value="ignore" selected="selected">
             [% ELSE %]
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/tools/manage-marc-import.tt b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/tools/manage-marc-import.tt
index 3d159c4c8c..e8384c12cc 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/tools/manage-marc-import.tt
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/tools/manage-marc-import.tt
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
   <tr><td>Number of records updated</td><td>[% num_updated %]</td></tr>
   <tr><td>Number of records ignored</td><td>[% num_ignored %]</td></tr>
   <tr><td>Number of items added</td><td>[% num_items_added %]</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Number of items replaced</td><td>[% num_items_replaced %]</td></tr>
   <tr><td>Number of items ignored because of duplicate barcode</td><td>[% num_items_errored %]</td></tr>
   </table>
   [% END %]
diff --git a/tools/manage-marc-import.pl b/tools/manage-marc-import.pl
index c0584c9369..f1a6c83428 100755
--- a/tools/manage-marc-import.pl
+++ b/tools/manage-marc-import.pl
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ sub commit_batch {
         $job = put_in_background($import_batch_id);
         $callback = progress_callback($job, $dbh);
     }
-    my ($num_added, $num_updated, $num_items_added, $num_items_errored, $num_ignored) = 
+    my ($num_added, $num_updated, $num_items_added, $num_items_replaced, $num_items_errored, $num_ignored) =
         BatchCommitRecords($import_batch_id, $framework, 50, $callback);
     $dbh->commit();
 
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ sub commit_batch {
         num_added => $num_added,
         num_updated => $num_updated,
         num_items_added => $num_items_added,
+        num_items_replaced => $num_items_replaced,
         num_items_errored => $num_items_errored,
         num_ignored => $num_ignored
     };