diff --git a/core/textdocumentgenerator.cpp b/core/textdocumentgenerator.cpp
index 194e4d0df..0138a4251 100644
--- a/core/textdocumentgenerator.cpp
+++ b/core/textdocumentgenerator.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ void TextDocumentGeneratorPrivate::addAnnotation( Annotation *annotation, int cu
     if ( !annotation )
         return;
 
+    annotation->setFlags( annotation->flags() | Okular::Annotation::External );
+
     AnnotationPosition position;
     position.annotation = annotation;
     position.startPosition = cursorBegin;
diff --git a/generators/djvu/generator_djvu.cpp b/generators/djvu/generator_djvu.cpp
index b0e63dad9..a0d0fe15f 100644
--- a/generators/djvu/generator_djvu.cpp
+++ b/generators/djvu/generator_djvu.cpp
@@ -448,6 +448,8 @@ Okular::Annotation* DjVuGenerator::convertKDjVuAnnotation( int w, int h, KDjVu::
         uid.chop( 1 );
         uid.remove( QLatin1Char( '-' ) );
         newann->setUniqueName( uid );
+        // is external
+        newann->setFlags( newann->flags() | Okular::Annotation::External );
     }
     return newann;
 }
diff --git a/generators/poppler/generator_pdf.cpp b/generators/poppler/generator_pdf.cpp
index e17e2ec0b..3970881ac 100644
--- a/generators/poppler/generator_pdf.cpp
+++ b/generators/poppler/generator_pdf.cpp
@@ -1261,6 +1261,8 @@ void PDFGenerator::addAnnotations( Poppler::Page * popplerPage, Okular::Page * p
             QString contents = newann->contents();
             contents.replace( QLatin1Char( '\r' ), QLatin1Char( '\n' ) );
             newann->setContents( contents );
+            // explicitely mark as external
+            newann->setFlags( newann->flags() | Okular::Annotation::External );
             page->addAnnotation(newann);
         }
     }