diff --git a/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper.rb b/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper.rb
index 5332529a90f..a5fdac6d93b 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ module Gitlab
         @map = generate_map
       end
 
+      def default_project_member
+        @default_project_member ||=
+          begin
+            return @project.project_members.first.user.id unless @project.project_members.empty?
+            default_member = ProjectMember.new(default_project_member_hash)
+            default_member.save!
+            default_member.user.id
+          end
+      end
+
       private
 
       def generate_map
@@ -39,16 +49,6 @@ module Gitlab
         member.except('id').merge(source_id: @project.id)
       end
 
-      def default_project_member
-        @default_project_member ||=
-          begin
-            return @project.project_members.first.user.id unless @project.project_members.empty?
-            default_member = ProjectMember.new(default_project_member_hash)
-            default_member.save!
-            default_member.user.id
-          end
-      end
-
       def default_project_member_hash
         { user: @user, access_level: ProjectMember::MASTER, source_id: @project.id }
       end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/import_export/project_tree_restorer.rb b/lib/gitlab/import_export/project_tree_restorer.rb
index bd343d0b695..911ba06e748 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/import_export/project_tree_restorer.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/import_export/project_tree_restorer.rb
@@ -94,8 +94,10 @@ module Gitlab
       end
 
       def relation_from_factory(relation, relation_hash)
-        Gitlab::ImportExport::RelationFactory.create(
-          relation_sym: relation.to_sym, relation_hash: relation_hash.merge('project_id' => project.id), members_mapper: members_mapper)
+        Gitlab::ImportExport::RelationFactory.create(relation_sym: relation.to_sym,
+                                                     relation_hash: relation_hash.merge('project_id' => project.id),
+                                                     members_mapper: members_mapper,
+                                                     user_admin: @user.is_admin?)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/import_export/relation_factory.rb b/lib/gitlab/import_export/relation_factory.rb
index cdd4987f980..3b27f133ecf 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/import_export/relation_factory.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/import_export/relation_factory.rb
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ module Gitlab
       OVERRIDES = { snippets: :project_snippets, ci_commits: 'Ci::Commit', statuses: 'commit_status' }.freeze
       USER_REFERENCES = %w(author_id assignee_id updated_by_id).freeze
 
-      def create(relation_sym:, relation_hash:, members_mapper:)
+      def create(relation_sym:, relation_hash:, members_mapper:, user_admin:)
         relation_sym = parse_relation_sym(relation_sym)
         klass = parse_relation(relation_hash, relation_sym)
 
-        update_missing_author(relation_hash, members_mapper) if relation_sym == :notes
+        update_missing_author(relation_hash, members_mapper, user_admin) if relation_sym == :notes
         update_user_references(relation_hash, members_mapper.map)
         update_project_references(relation_hash, klass)
 
@@ -27,12 +27,19 @@ module Gitlab
         end
       end
 
-      def update_missing_author(relation_hash, members_map)
+      def update_missing_author(relation_hash, members_map, user_admin)
         old_author_id = relation_hash['author_id']
-        relation_hash['author_id'] = members_map.map[old_author_id]
+
+        # Users with admin access have access to mapping of users
+        if user_admin
+          relation_hash['author_id'] = members_map.default_project_member
+        else
+          relation_hash['author_id'] = members_map.map[old_author_id]
+        end
+
         author = relation_hash.delete('author')
 
-        return unless members_map.note_member_list.include?(old_author_id)
+        return unless user_admin && members_map.note_member_list.include?(old_author_id)
 
         relation_hash['note'] = ('*Blank note*') if relation_hash['note'].blank?
         relation_hash['note'] += (missing_author_note(relation_hash['updated_at'], author['name']))