diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/models/test_fields.py b/bookwyrm/tests/models/test_fields.py
index 278272d8..8028a305 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/models/test_fields.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/models/test_fields.py
@@ -485,6 +485,106 @@ class ModelFields(TestCase):
         self.assertIsNotNone(book.cover.name)
         self.assertEqual(book.cover.size, 43200)
 
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_image_field_set_field_from_activity_no_overwrite_no_cover(self, *_):
+        """update a model instance from an activitypub object"""
+        image_file = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath(
+            "../../static/images/default_avi.jpg"
+        )
+        image = Image.open(image_file)
+        output = BytesIO()
+        image.save(output, format=image.format)
+
+        instance = fields.ImageField(activitypub_field="cover", name="cover")
+
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            "http://www.example.com/image.jpg",
+            body=image.tobytes(),
+            status=200,
+        )
+        book = Edition.objects.create(title="hello")
+
+        MockActivity = namedtuple("MockActivity", ("cover"))
+        mock_activity = MockActivity("http://www.example.com/image.jpg")
+
+        instance.set_field_from_activity(book, mock_activity, overwrite=False)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(book.cover.name)
+        self.assertEqual(book.cover.size, 43200)
+
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_image_field_set_field_from_activity_no_overwrite_with_cover(self, *_):
+        """update a model instance from an activitypub object"""
+        image_file = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath(
+            "../../static/images/default_avi.jpg"
+        )
+        image = Image.open(image_file)
+        output = BytesIO()
+        image.save(output, format=image.format)
+
+        another_image_file = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath(
+            "../../static/images/logo.png"
+        )
+        another_image = Image.open(another_image_file)
+        another_output = BytesIO()
+        another_image.save(another_output, format=another_image.format)
+
+        instance = fields.ImageField(activitypub_field="cover", name="cover")
+
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            "http://www.example.com/image.jpg",
+            body=another_image.tobytes(),
+            status=200,
+        )
+        book = Edition.objects.create(title="hello")
+        book.cover.save("test.jpg", ContentFile(output.getvalue()))
+        self.assertEqual(book.cover.size, 2136)
+
+        MockActivity = namedtuple("MockActivity", ("cover"))
+        mock_activity = MockActivity("http://www.example.com/image.jpg")
+
+        instance.set_field_from_activity(book, mock_activity, overwrite=False)
+        # same cover as before
+        self.assertEqual(book.cover.size, 2136)
+
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_image_field_set_field_from_activity_with_overwrite_with_cover(self, *_):
+        """update a model instance from an activitypub object"""
+        image_file = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath(
+            "../../static/images/default_avi.jpg"
+        )
+        image = Image.open(image_file)
+        output = BytesIO()
+        image.save(output, format=image.format)
+        book = Edition.objects.create(title="hello")
+        book.cover.save("test.jpg", ContentFile(output.getvalue()))
+        self.assertEqual(book.cover.size, 2136)
+
+        another_image_file = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath(
+            "../../static/images/logo.png"
+        )
+        another_image = Image.open(another_image_file)
+        another_output = BytesIO()
+        another_image.save(another_output, format=another_image.format)
+
+        instance = fields.ImageField(activitypub_field="cover", name="cover")
+
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            "http://www.example.com/image.jpg",
+            body=another_image.tobytes(),
+            status=200,
+        )
+
+        MockActivity = namedtuple("MockActivity", ("cover"))
+        mock_activity = MockActivity("http://www.example.com/image.jpg")
+
+        instance.set_field_from_activity(book, mock_activity, overwrite=True)
+        # new cover
+        self.assertIsNotNone(book.cover.name)
+        self.assertEqual(book.cover.size, 376800)
+
     def test_datetime_field(self, *_):
         """this one is pretty simple, it just has to use isoformat"""
         instance = fields.DateTimeField()