diff --git a/lib/import-associated-files.js b/lib/import-associated-files.js
index 3b2db3c2..90bb9e0c 100644
--- a/lib/import-associated-files.js
+++ b/lib/import-associated-files.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 var resolvePath = require('path').resolve
-var getDirectory = require('path').dirname
 var fs = require('fs')
 var each = require('async-each')
-var getExt = require('path').extname
 
 module.exports = function (descriptor, originalDirectory, targetDirectory, cb) {
   each(getFiles(descriptor), (file, next) => {
@@ -12,19 +10,7 @@ module.exports = function (descriptor, originalDirectory, targetDirectory, cb) {
       if (exists) {
         fs.exists(to, (exists) => {
           if (!exists) {
-            if (getExt(from) === '.json') {
-              // handle external chunks
-              fs.readFile(from, 'utf8', (err, data) => {
-                if (err) return next(err)
-                module.exports(JSON.parse(data), getDirectory(from), getDirectory(to), (err) => {
-                  if (err) return next(err)
-                  fs.writeFile(to, data, next)
-                })
-              })
-            } else {
-              // handle samples, etc
-              copyFile(from, to, next)
-            }
+            copyFile(from, to, next)
           } else {
             next()
           }
@@ -43,7 +29,7 @@ function copyFile (from, to, cb) {
 function getFiles (descriptor) {
   var result = []
   JSON.stringify(descriptor, function (key, value) {
-    if (value && (value.node === 'AudioBuffer' || value.node === 'externalChunk')) {
+    if (value && (value.node === 'AudioBuffer')) {
       result.push(value.src)
     }
     return value
diff --git a/nodes/setup/object.js b/nodes/setup/object.js
index 2032d71d..360cc6cf 100644
--- a/nodes/setup/object.js
+++ b/nodes/setup/object.js
@@ -169,10 +169,7 @@ function Setup (parentContext) {
   }
 
   node.importChunk = function (descriptor, originalDirectory, cb) {
-    var info = context.nodeInfo.lookup[descriptor.node]
     var id = node.chunks.resolveAvailable(descriptor.id)
-    var targetPath = join(context.cwd, id + '.json')
-
     descriptor = extend(descriptor, { id: id })
 
     // ensure has default output
@@ -186,24 +183,30 @@ function Setup (parentContext) {
       }
     }
 
-    importAssociatedFiles(descriptor, originalDirectory, context.cwd, function (err) {
-      if (err) return cb && cb(err)
-      if (info.external) {
-        // duplicate external file
-        context.fs.writeFile(targetPath, JSON.stringify(descriptor), function (err) {
+    if (descriptor.node === 'externalChunk') {
+      var originalPath = join(originalDirectory, descriptor.src)
+      var targetPath = join(context.cwd, id + '.json')
+      context.fs.readFile(originalPath, 'utf8', function (err, data) {
+        if (err) return cb && cb(err)
+        var externalDescriptor = JSON.parse(data)
+        importAssociatedFiles(externalDescriptor, originalDirectory, context.cwd, function (err) {
           if (err) return cb && cb(err)
-          node.chunks.push({
-            node: 'externalChunk',
-            src: context.fileObject.relative(targetPath)
+          context.fs.writeFile(targetPath, JSON.stringify(externalDescriptor), function (err) {
+            if (err) return cb && cb(err)
+            node.chunks.push(extend(descriptor, {
+              src: context.fileObject.relative(targetPath)
+            }))
+            cb && cb(null, id)
           })
-          cb && cb(null, id)
         })
-      } else {
-        // duplicate local chunk
+      })
+    } else {
+      importAssociatedFiles(descriptor, originalDirectory, context.cwd, function (err) {
+        if (err) return cb && cb(err)
         node.chunks.push(descriptor)
         cb && cb(null, id)
-      }
-    })
+      })
+    }
 
     return id
   }