diff --git a/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONAction.js b/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONAction.js
index 9003fbe5eb..4aa5f14bb1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONAction.js
+++ b/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONAction.js
@@ -150,16 +150,15 @@ export default class ImportAsJSONAction {
    * @param {string} namespace
    * @returns {object}
    */
-  _generateNewIdentifiers(tree, namespace) {
+  _generateNewIdentifiers(tree, newNamespace) {
     // For each domain object in the file, generate new ID, replace in tree
     Object.keys(tree.openmct).forEach((domainObjectId) => {
-      const newId = {
-        namespace,
-        key: uuid()
-      };
-
       const oldId = parseKeyString(domainObjectId);
 
+      const newId = {
+        namespace: newNamespace,
+        key: uuid()
+      };
       tree = this._rewriteId(oldId, newId, tree);
     }, this);
 
@@ -228,22 +227,32 @@ export default class ImportAsJSONAction {
   _rewriteId(oldId, newId, tree) {
     let newIdKeyString = this.openmct.objects.makeKeyString(newId);
     let oldIdKeyString = this.openmct.objects.makeKeyString(oldId);
-    tree = JSON.stringify(tree).replace(new RegExp(oldIdKeyString, 'g'), newIdKeyString);
-
-    return JSON.parse(tree, (key, value) => {
+    const newTreeString = JSON.stringify(tree).replace(
+      new RegExp(oldIdKeyString, 'g'),
+      newIdKeyString
+    );
+    const newTree = JSON.parse(newTreeString, (key, value) => {
       if (
         value !== undefined &&
         value !== null &&
         Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(value, 'key') &&
-        Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(value, 'namespace') &&
-        value.key === oldId.key &&
-        value.namespace === oldId.namespace
+        Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(value, 'namespace')
       ) {
-        return newId;
-      } else {
-        return value;
+        // first check if key is messed up from regex and contains a colon
+        // if it does, repair it
+        if (value.key.includes(':')) {
+          const splitKey = value.key.split(':');
+          value.key = splitKey[1];
+          value.namespace = splitKey[0];
+        }
+        // now check if we need to replace the id
+        if (value.key === oldId.key && value.namespace === oldId.namespace) {
+          return newId;
+        }
       }
+      return value;
     });
+    return newTree;
   }
   /**
    * @private
diff --git a/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONActionSpec.js b/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONActionSpec.js
index e9995ea6bf..b1d582cb49 100644
--- a/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONActionSpec.js
+++ b/src/plugins/importFromJSONAction/ImportFromJSONActionSpec.js
@@ -135,11 +135,75 @@ describe('The import JSON action', function () {
         selectFile: {
           name: 'imported object',
           // eslint-disable-next-line prettier/prettier
-          body: "{\"openmct\":{\"c28d230d-e909-4a3e-9840-d9ef469dda70\":{\"identifier\":{\"key\":\"c28d230d-e909-4a3e-9840-d9ef469dda70\",\"namespace\":\"\"},\"name\":\"Unnamed Overlay Plot\",\"type\":\"telemetry.plot.overlay\",\"composition\":[],\"configuration\":{\"series\":[]},\"modified\":1695837546833,\"location\":\"mine\",\"created\":1695837546833,\"persisted\":1695837546833,\"__proto__\":{\"toString\":\"foobar\"}}},\"rootId\":\"c28d230d-e909-4a3e-9840-d9ef469dda70\"}"
+          body: '{"openmct":{"c28d230d-e909-4a3e-9840-d9ef469dda70":{"identifier":{"key":"c28d230d-e909-4a3e-9840-d9ef469dda70","namespace":""},"name":"Unnamed Overlay Plot","type":"telemetry.plot.overlay","composition":[],"configuration":{"series":[]},"modified":1695837546833,"location":"mine","created":1695837546833,"persisted":1695837546833,"__proto__":{"toString":"foobar"}}},"rootId":"c28d230d-e909-4a3e-9840-d9ef469dda70"}'
         }
       };
 
       return Promise.resolve(pollutedResponse);
     }
   });
+  it('preserves the integrity of the namespace and key during import', async () => {
+    const incomingObject = {
+      openmct: {
+        '7323f02a-06ac-438d-bd58-6d6e33b8741e': {
+          name: 'Some Folder',
+          type: 'folder',
+          composition: [
+            {
+              key: '9f6c2d21-5ec8-434c-9fe8-31614ae6d7e6',
+              namespace: ''
+            }
+          ],
+          modified: 1710843256162,
+          location: 'mine',
+          created: 1710843243471,
+          persisted: 1710843256162,
+          identifier: {
+            namespace: '',
+            key: '7323f02a-06ac-438d-bd58-6d6e33b8741e'
+          }
+        },
+        '9f6c2d21-5ec8-434c-9fe8-31614ae6d7e6': {
+          name: 'Some Clock',
+          type: 'clock',
+          configuration: {
+            baseFormat: 'YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm:ss',
+            use24: 'clock12',
+            timezone: 'UTC'
+          },
+          modified: 1710843256152,
+          location: '7323f02a-06ac-438d-bd58-6d6e33b8741e',
+          created: 1710843256152,
+          persisted: 1710843256152,
+          identifier: {
+            namespace: '',
+            key: '9f6c2d21-5ec8-434c-9fe8-31614ae6d7e6'
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      rootId: '7323f02a-06ac-438d-bd58-6d6e33b8741e'
+    };
+
+    const targetDomainObject = {
+      identifier: {
+        namespace: 'starJones',
+        key: '84438cda-a071-48d1-b9bf-d77bd53e59ba'
+      },
+      type: 'folder'
+    };
+    spyOn(openmct.objects, 'save').and.callFake((model) => Promise.resolve(model));
+    try {
+      await importFromJSONAction.onSave(targetDomainObject, {
+        selectFile: { body: JSON.stringify(incomingObject) }
+      });
+
+      for (const callArgs of openmct.objects.save.calls.allArgs()) {
+        const savedObject = callArgs[0]; // Assuming the first argument is the object being saved.
+        expect(savedObject.identifier.key.includes(':')).toBeFalse(); // Ensure no colon in the key.
+        expect(savedObject.identifier.namespace).toBe(targetDomainObject.identifier.namespace);
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      fail(error);
+    }
+  });
 });