diff --git a/src/routes/api/similar_notes.js b/src/routes/api/similar_notes.js
index b84589e6f..3403833f8 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/similar_notes.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/similar_notes.js
@@ -12,12 +12,8 @@ async function getSimilarNotes(req) {
         return [404, `Note ${noteId} not found.`];
     }
 
-    const start = new Date();
-
     const results = await noteCacheService.findSimilarNotes(note.title);
 
-    console.log("Similar note took: " + (Date.now() - start.getTime()) + "ms");
-
     return results
         .filter(note => note.noteId !== noteId);
 }
diff --git a/src/services/export/tar.js b/src/services/export/tar.js
index 2cfadd777..d09e3429b 100644
--- a/src/services/export/tar.js
+++ b/src/services/export/tar.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const mimeTypes = require('mime-types');
 const TurndownService = require('turndown');
 const packageInfo = require('../../../package.json');
 const utils = require('../utils');
-const log = require('../log');
+const protectedSessionService = require('../protected_session');
 const sanitize = require("sanitize-filename");
 
 /**
@@ -136,8 +136,10 @@ async function exportToTar(exportContext, branch, format, res) {
 
         const childBranches = await note.getChildBranches();
 
+        const available = !note.isProtected || protectedSessionService.isProtectedSessionAvailable();
+
         // if it's a leaf then we'll export it even if it's empty
-        if ((await note.getContent()).length > 0 || childBranches.length === 0) {
+        if (available && ((await note.getContent()).length > 0 || childBranches.length === 0)) {
             meta.dataFileName = getDataFileName(note, baseFileName, existingFileNames);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/services/import/tar.js b/src/services/import/tar.js
index b59493bac..64a70e0b7 100644
--- a/src/services/import/tar.js
+++ b/src/services/import/tar.js
@@ -238,8 +238,6 @@ async function importTar(importContext, fileBuffer, importRootNote) {
 
         absUrl += (absUrl.length > 0 ? '/' : '') + url;
 
-        console.log("absUrl", absUrl);
-
         const targetNoteId = getNoteId(null, absUrl);
         return targetNoteId;
     }
@@ -434,6 +432,8 @@ async function importTar(importContext, fileBuffer, importRootNote) {
                 createdNoteIds[noteId] = true;
 
                 await noteService.scanForLinks(noteId);
+
+                importContext.increaseProgressCount();
             }
 
             // we're saving attributes and links only now so that all relation and link target notes
diff --git a/src/services/notes.js b/src/services/notes.js
index f27049554..f6c81040a 100644
--- a/src/services/notes.js
+++ b/src/services/notes.js
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ const NoteRevision = require('../entities/note_revision');
 const Branch = require('../entities/branch');
 const Attribute = require('../entities/attribute');
 const hoistedNoteService = require('../services/hoisted_note');
+const protectedSessionService = require('../services/protected_session');
+const log = require('../services/log');
 
 async function getNewNotePosition(parentNoteId, noteData) {
     let newNotePos = 0;
@@ -255,6 +257,10 @@ async function saveLinks(note, content) {
         return content;
     }
 
+    if (note.isProtected && !protectedSessionService.isProtectedSessionAvailable()) {
+        return content;
+    }
+
     const foundLinks = [];
 
     if (note.type === 'text') {
@@ -433,10 +439,15 @@ async function scanForLinks(noteId) {
         return;
     }
 
-    const content = await note.getContent();
-    const newContent = await saveLinks(note, content);
+    try {
+        const content = await note.getContent();
+        const newContent = await saveLinks(note, content);
 
-    await note.setContent(newContent);
+        await note.setContent(newContent);
+    }
+    catch (e) {
+        log.error(`Could not scan for links note ${noteId}: ${e.message}`);
+    }
 }
 
 async function cleanupDeletedNotes() {