diff --git a/lib/email/receiver.rb b/lib/email/receiver.rb
index 45a722d6c29..b64c250957f 100644
--- a/lib/email/receiver.rb
+++ b/lib/email/receiver.rb
@@ -420,11 +420,14 @@ module Email
       end
 
       if post && post.topic && @before_embedded.present?
+        post_type = Post.types[:regular]
+        post_type = Post.types[:whisper] if post.topic.private_message? && group.usernames[user.username]
+
         create_reply(user: user,
                      raw: @before_embedded,
                      post: post,
                      topic: post.topic,
-                     post_type: Post.types[:whisper])
+                     post_type: post_type)
       end
 
       true
diff --git a/spec/components/email/receiver_spec.rb b/spec/components/email/receiver_spec.rb
index 935fe3be060..0a7b0a1bed0 100644
--- a/spec/components/email/receiver_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/email/receiver_spec.rb
@@ -394,9 +394,14 @@ describe Email::Receiver do
 
       expect(forwarded_post.raw).to match(/XoXo/)
       expect(last_post.raw).to match(/can you have a look at this email below/)
+
+      expect(last_post.post_type).to eq(Post.types[:regular])
     end
 
     it "handles weirdly forwarded emails" do
+      group.add(Fabricate(:user, email: "ba@bar.com"))
+      group.save
+
       SiteSetting.enable_forwarded_emails = true
       expect { process(:forwarded_email_2) }.to change(Topic, :count)
 
@@ -407,6 +412,8 @@ describe Email::Receiver do
 
       expect(forwarded_post.raw).to match(/XoXo/)
       expect(last_post.raw).to match(/can you have a look at this email below/)
+
+      expect(last_post.post_type).to eq(Post.types[:whisper])
     end
 
   end