diff --git a/middleware/normalizeParentIds.js b/middleware/normalizeParentIds.js
index e0e499e2..ae22a3c6 100644
--- a/middleware/normalizeParentIds.js
+++ b/middleware/normalizeParentIds.js
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ function normalizeParentIds(place) {
  * @return {string}
  */
 function makeNewId(placeType, id) {
+  if (!id) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   var doc = new Document('whosonfirst', placeType, id);
   return doc.getGid();
 }
diff --git a/middleware/renamePlacenames.js b/middleware/renamePlacenames.js
index d89a43ad..9f63cb6e 100644
--- a/middleware/renamePlacenames.js
+++ b/middleware/renamePlacenames.js
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-var _ = require('lodash');
+'use strict';
 
-var PARENT_PROPS = require('../helper/placeTypes');
+const _ = require('lodash');
 
-var ADDRESS_PROPS = {
-  'number': 'housenumber',
-  'zip': 'postalcode',
-  'street': 'street'
-};
+const PARENT_PROPS = require('../helper/placeTypes');
+
+const ADDRESS_PROPS = [
+  { name: 'number', newName: 'housenumber' },
+  { name: 'zip',    newName: 'postalcode', transform: (value) => { return [value]; } },
+  { name: 'street', newName: 'street' }
+];
 
 
 function setup() {
@@ -28,22 +30,39 @@ function renamePlacenames(req, res, next) {
  * Rename the fields in one record
  */
 function renameOneRecord(place) {
-  if (place.address_parts) {
-    Object.keys(ADDRESS_PROPS).forEach(function (prop) {
-      place[ADDRESS_PROPS[prop]] = place.address_parts[prop];
-    });
-  }
 
   // merge the parent block into the top level object to flatten the structure
+  // only copy the properties if they have values
   if (place.parent) {
-    PARENT_PROPS.forEach(function (prop) {
+    PARENT_PROPS.forEach( (prop) => {
       place[prop] = place.parent[prop];
       place[prop + '_a'] = place.parent[prop + '_a'];
       place[prop + '_gid'] = place.parent[prop + '_id'];
     });
   }
 
+  // copy the address parts after parent hierarchy in order to prefer
+  // the postalcode specified by the original source data
+  if (place.address_parts) {
+    ADDRESS_PROPS.forEach( (prop) => {
+      renameAddressProperty(place, prop);
+    });
+  }
+
   return place;
 }
 
+function renameAddressProperty(place, prop) {
+  if (!place.address_parts.hasOwnProperty(prop.name)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (prop.hasOwnProperty('transform')) {
+    place[prop.newName] = prop.transform(place.address_parts[prop.name]);
+  }
+  else {
+    place[prop.newName] = place.address_parts[prop.name];
+  }
+}
+
 module.exports = setup;
diff --git a/test/unit/middleware/renamePlacenames.js b/test/unit/middleware/renamePlacenames.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15f296d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/middleware/renamePlacenames.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+/**
+ * Created by diana on 2/8/17.
+ */