diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Import/JobStatusController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Import/JobStatusController.php
index d211001939..9d256a5817 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Import/JobStatusController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Import/JobStatusController.php
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class JobStatusController extends Controller
      */
     public function json(ImportJob $importJob): JsonResponse
     {
-        $count = \count($importJob->transactions);
+        $count = $this->repository->countTransactions($importJob);
         $json  = [
             'status'               => $importJob->status,
             'errors'               => $importJob->errors,
diff --git a/app/Import/Storage/ImportArrayStorage.php b/app/Import/Storage/ImportArrayStorage.php
index 9cc5ab6871..4d649883f9 100644
--- a/app/Import/Storage/ImportArrayStorage.php
+++ b/app/Import/Storage/ImportArrayStorage.php
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ class ImportArrayStorage
      */
     public function setImportJob(ImportJob $importJob): void
     {
-        $this->importJob = $importJob;
-        $this->countTransfers();
-
+        $this->importJob  = $importJob;
         $this->repository = app(ImportJobRepositoryInterface::class);
         $this->repository->setUser($importJob->user);
 
+        $this->countTransfers();
+
         $this->journalRepos = app(JournalRepositoryInterface::class);
         $this->journalRepos->setUser($importJob->user);
 
@@ -157,7 +157,9 @@ class ImportArrayStorage
     {
         Log::debug('Now in countTransfers()');
         /** @var array $array */
-        $array = $this->importJob->transactions;
+        $array = $this->repository->getTransactions($this->importJob);
+
+
         $count = 0;
         foreach ($array as $index => $transaction) {
             if (strtolower(TransactionType::TRANSFER) === strtolower($transaction['type'])) {
@@ -418,7 +420,7 @@ class ImportArrayStorage
     private function storeArray(): Collection
     {
         /** @var array $array */
-        $array   = $this->importJob->transactions;
+        $array   = $this->repository->getTransactions($this->importJob);
         $count   = \count($array);
         $toStore = [];
 
@@ -541,8 +543,9 @@ class ImportArrayStorage
                 Log::debug(sprintf('Comparison is a hit! (%s)', $hits));
 
                 // compare description:
-                Log::debug(sprintf('Comparing "%s" to "%s"', $description, $transfer->description));
-                if ($description !== $transfer->description) {
+                $comparison = '(empty description)' === $transfer->description ? '' : $transfer->description;
+                Log::debug(sprintf('Comparing "%s" to "%s" (original: "%s")', $description, $transfer->description, $comparison));
+                if ($description !== $comparison) {
                     continue; // @codeCoverageIgnore
                 }
                 ++$hits;
diff --git a/app/Models/ImportJob.php b/app/Models/ImportJob.php
index 82de695919..b45502a5cf 100644
--- a/app/Models/ImportJob.php
+++ b/app/Models/ImportJob.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace FireflyIII\Models;
 
+use Carbon\Carbon;
 use FireflyIII\User;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\NotFoundHttpException;
  * @property array  $errors
  * @property array  extended_status
  * @property int    id
+ * @property Carbon $created_at
  */
 class ImportJob extends Model
 {
diff --git a/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepository.php b/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepository.php
index a6d6f54e46..2a9fec1634 100644
--- a/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepository.php
+++ b/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepository.php
@@ -84,26 +84,36 @@ class ImportJobRepository implements ImportJobRepositoryInterface
      * @param array     $transactions
      *
      * @return ImportJob
+     * @throws \Illuminate\Contracts\Filesystem\FileNotFoundException
      */
     public function appendTransactions(ImportJob $job, array $transactions): ImportJob
     {
         Log::debug(sprintf('Now in appendTransactions(%s)', $job->key));
-        $existingTransactions = $job->transactions;
-        if (!\is_array($existingTransactions)) {
-            $existingTransactions = [];
-        }
-        $new = array_merge($existingTransactions, $transactions);
+        $existingTransactions = $this->getTransactions($job);
+        $new                  = array_merge($existingTransactions, $transactions);
         Log::debug(sprintf('Old transaction count: %d', \count($existingTransactions)));
         Log::debug(sprintf('To be added transaction count: %d', \count($transactions)));
         Log::debug(sprintf('New count: %d', \count($new)));
-        $job->transactions = $new;
-
-
-        $job->save();
+        $this->setTransactions($job, $new);
 
         return $job;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param ImportJob $job
+     *
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function countTransactions(ImportJob $job): int
+    {
+        $info = $job->transactions ?? [];
+        if (isset($info['count'])) {
+            return (int)$info['count'];
+        }
+
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param string $importProvider
      *
@@ -201,6 +211,31 @@ class ImportJobRepository implements ImportJobRepositoryInterface
         return [];
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return transactions from attachment.
+     *
+     * @param ImportJob $job
+     *
+     * @return array
+     * @throws \Illuminate\Contracts\Filesystem\FileNotFoundException
+     */
+    public function getTransactions(ImportJob $job): array
+    {
+        // this will overwrite all transactions currently in the job.
+        $disk     = Storage::disk('upload');
+        $filename = sprintf('%s-%s.crypt.json', $job->created_at->format('Ymd'), $job->key);
+        $array    = [];
+        if ($disk->exists($filename)) {
+            $json  = Crypt::decrypt($disk->get($filename));
+            $array = json_decode($json, true);
+        }
+        if (false === $array) {
+            $array = [];
+        }
+
+        return $array;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param ImportJob $job
      * @param array     $configuration
@@ -272,8 +307,17 @@ class ImportJobRepository implements ImportJobRepositoryInterface
      */
     public function setTransactions(ImportJob $job, array $transactions): ImportJob
     {
-        $job->transactions = $transactions;
+        // this will overwrite all transactions currently in the job.
+        $disk     = Storage::disk('upload');
+        $filename = sprintf('%s-%s.crypt.json', $job->created_at->format('Ymd'), $job->key);
+        $json     = Crypt::encrypt(json_encode($transactions));
+
+        // set count for easy access
+        $array             = ['count' => \count($transactions)];
+        $job->transactions = $array;
         $job->save();
+        // store file.
+        $disk->put($filename, $json);
 
         return $job;
     }
@@ -377,7 +421,7 @@ class ImportJobRepository implements ImportJobRepositoryInterface
         $fileObject->rewind();
 
 
-        if(0 === $file->getSize()) {
+        if (0 === $file->getSize()) {
             throw new FireflyException('Cannot upload empty or non-existent file.');
         }
 
@@ -390,7 +434,6 @@ class ImportJobRepository implements ImportJobRepositoryInterface
         return new MessageBag;
     }
 
-
     /**
      * @codeCoverageIgnore
      *
diff --git a/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepositoryInterface.php b/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepositoryInterface.php
index f63fd236bc..ad621010f1 100644
--- a/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepositoryInterface.php
+++ b/app/Repositories/ImportJob/ImportJobRepositoryInterface.php
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\File\UploadedFile;
  */
 interface ImportJobRepositoryInterface
 {
+
     /**
      * Add message to job.
      *
@@ -55,6 +56,13 @@ interface ImportJobRepositoryInterface
      */
     public function appendTransactions(ImportJob $job, array $transactions): ImportJob;
 
+    /**
+     * @param ImportJob $job
+     *
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function countTransactions(ImportJob $job): int;
+
     /**
      * @param string $importProvider
      *
@@ -96,6 +104,15 @@ interface ImportJobRepositoryInterface
      */
     public function getExtendedStatus(ImportJob $job): array;
 
+    /**
+     * Return transactions from attachment.
+     *
+     * @param ImportJob $job
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getTransactions(ImportJob $job): array;
+
     /**
      * @param ImportJob $job
      * @param array     $configuration