diff --git a/script/import_scripts/base/lookup_container.rb b/script/import_scripts/base/lookup_container.rb
index 8922b0e2358..2e6f2c0af21 100644
--- a/script/import_scripts/base/lookup_container.rb
+++ b/script/import_scripts/base/lookup_container.rb
@@ -2,28 +2,16 @@ module ImportScripts
   class LookupContainer
     def initialize
       puts 'Loading existing groups...'
-      @groups = {}
-      GroupCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:group_id, :value).each do |group_id, import_id|
-        @groups[import_id] = group_id
-      end
+      @groups = GroupCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:value, :group_id).to_h
 
       puts 'Loading existing users...'
-      @users = {}
-      UserCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:user_id, :value).each do |user_id, import_id|
-        @users[import_id] = user_id
-      end
+      @users = UserCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:value, :user_id).to_h
 
       puts 'Loading existing categories...'
-      @categories = {}
-      CategoryCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:category_id, :value).each do |category_id, import_id|
-        @categories[import_id] = category_id
-      end
+      @categories = CategoryCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:value, :category_id).to_h
 
       puts 'Loading existing posts...'
-      @posts = {}
-      PostCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:post_id, :value).each do |post_id, import_id|
-        @posts[import_id] = post_id
-      end
+      @posts = PostCustomField.where(name: 'import_id').pluck(:value, :post_id).to_h
 
       puts 'Loading existing topics...'
       @topics = {}
@@ -73,19 +61,19 @@ module ImportScripts
     end
 
     def add_group(import_id, group)
-      @groups[import_id] = group.id
+      @groups[import_id.to_s] = group.id
     end
 
     def add_user(import_id, user)
-      @users[import_id] = user.id
+      @users[import_id.to_s] = user.id
     end
 
     def add_category(import_id, category)
-      @categories[import_id] = category.id
+      @categories[import_id.to_s] = category.id
     end
 
     def add_post(import_id, post)
-      @posts[import_id] = post.id
+      @posts[import_id.to_s] = post.id
     end
 
     def add_topic(post)
diff --git a/script/import_scripts/vbulletin.rb b/script/import_scripts/vbulletin.rb
index 4c5216a679a..40c4d5e3cfc 100644
--- a/script/import_scripts/vbulletin.rb
+++ b/script/import_scripts/vbulletin.rb
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ EOM
 
       last_user_id = users[-1]["userid"]
       before = users.size
-      users.reject! { |u| @lookup.user_already_imported?(u["userid"].to_i) }
+      users.reject! { |u| @lookup.user_already_imported?(u["userid"]) }
 
       create_users(users, total: user_count, offset: offset) do |user|
         email = user["email"].presence || fake_email
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ EOM
           username: username,
           password: password,
           email: email,
+          merge: true,
           website: user["homepage"].strip,
           title: @htmlentities.decode(user["usertitle"]).strip,
           primary_group_id: group_id_from_imported_group_id(user["usergroupid"].to_i),
@@ -176,7 +177,6 @@ EOM
     end
 
     @usernames = UserCustomField.joins(:user).where(name: 'import_username').pluck('user_custom_fields.value', 'users.username').to_h
-
   end
 
   def create_groups_membership