diff --git a/wp-admin/custom-background.php b/wp-admin/custom-background.php
index 5bd996b752..28eec84e8e 100644
--- a/wp-admin/custom-background.php
+++ b/wp-admin/custom-background.php
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ if ( get_background_image() ) {
 			'post_title' => $filename,
 			'post_content' => $url,
 			'post_mime_type' => $type,
-			'guid' => $url
+			'guid' => $url,
+			'context' => 'custom-background'
 		);
 
 		// Save the data
diff --git a/wp-admin/custom-header.php b/wp-admin/custom-header.php
index e58346e116..18fe4857f4 100644
--- a/wp-admin/custom-header.php
+++ b/wp-admin/custom-header.php
@@ -644,7 +644,8 @@ wp_nonce_field( 'custom-header-options', '_wpnonce-custom-header-options' ); ?>
 		'post_title' => $filename,
 		'post_content' => $url,
 		'post_mime_type' => $type,
-		'guid' => $url);
+		'guid' => $url,
+		'context' => 'custom-header');
 
 		// Save the data
 		$id = wp_insert_attachment($object, $file);
@@ -737,7 +738,8 @@ wp_nonce_field( 'custom-header-options', '_wpnonce-custom-header-options' ); ?>
 			'post_title' => basename($cropped),
 			'post_content' => $url,
 			'post_mime_type' => 'image/jpeg',
-			'guid' => $url
+			'guid' => $url,
+			'context' => 'custom-header'
 		);
 
 		// Update the attachment
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/import.php b/wp-admin/includes/import.php
index 51861bdcdb..f57be766c0 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/import.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/import.php
@@ -80,12 +80,17 @@ function wp_import_handle_upload() {
 	$object = array( 'post_title' => $filename,
 		'post_content' => $url,
 		'post_mime_type' => $type,
-		'guid' => $url
+		'guid' => $url,
+		'context' => 'import',
+		'post_status' => 'private'
 	);
 
 	// Save the data
 	$id = wp_insert_attachment( $object, $file );
 
+	// schedule a cleanup for one day from now in case of failed import or missing wp_import_cleanup() call
+	wp_schedule_single_event( time() + 86400, 'importer_scheduled_cleanup', array( $id ) );
+
 	return array( 'file' => $file, 'id' => $id );
 }
 
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/post.php b/wp-admin/includes/post.php
index a5a56ef7cb..237e3818c1 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/post.php
@@ -996,7 +996,12 @@ function wp_edit_attachments_query( $q = false ) {
 	$q['m']   = isset( $q['m'] ) ? (int) $q['m'] : 0;
 	$q['cat'] = isset( $q['cat'] ) ? (int) $q['cat'] : 0;
 	$q['post_type'] = 'attachment';
-	$q['post_status'] = isset( $q['status'] ) && 'trash' == $q['status'] ? 'trash' : 'inherit';
+	$post_type = get_post_type_object( 'attachment' );
+	$states = array( 'inherit' );
+	if ( current_user_can( $post_type->cap->read_private_posts ) )
+		$states[] = 'private';
+
+	$q['post_status'] = isset( $q['status'] ) && 'trash' == $q['status'] ? 'trash' : $states;
 	$media_per_page = (int) get_user_option( 'upload_per_page' );
 	if ( empty( $media_per_page ) || $media_per_page < 1 )
 		$media_per_page = 20;
diff --git a/wp-includes/default-filters.php b/wp-includes/default-filters.php
index 7584a491b5..a5b6150a51 100644
--- a/wp-includes/default-filters.php
+++ b/wp-includes/default-filters.php
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ add_action( 'wp_scheduled_delete',        'wp_scheduled_delete'            );
 add_action( 'before_wp_tiny_mce',         'wp_print_editor_js'             );
 add_action( 'after_wp_tiny_mce',          'wp_preload_dialogs',      10, 1 );
 add_action( 'admin_init',                 'send_frame_options_header', 10, 0 );
+add_action( 'importer_scheduled_cleanup', 'wp_delete_attachment'           );
 
 // Navigation menu actions
 add_action( 'delete_post',                '_wp_delete_post_menu_item'      );
diff --git a/wp-includes/post.php b/wp-includes/post.php
index a930eda633..efec91be81 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -557,12 +557,18 @@ function get_post_status($ID = '') {
 	if ( !is_object($post) )
 		return false;
 
-	// Unattached attachments are assumed to be published.
-	if ( ('attachment' == $post->post_type) && ('inherit' == $post->post_status) && ( 0 == $post->post_parent) )
-		return 'publish';
+	if ( 'attachment' == $post->post_type ) {
+		if ( 'private' == $post->post_status )
+			return 'private';
 
-	if ( ('attachment' == $post->post_type) && $post->post_parent && ($post->ID != $post->post_parent) )
-		return get_post_status($post->post_parent);
+		// Unattached attachments are assumed to be published
+		if ( ( 'inherit' == $post->post_status ) && ( 0 == $post->post_parent) )
+			return 'publish';
+
+		// Inherit status from the parent
+		if ( $post->post_parent && ( $post->ID != $post->post_parent ) )
+			return get_post_status($post->post_parent);
+	}
 
 	return $post->post_status;
 }
@@ -3543,10 +3549,10 @@ function is_local_attachment($url) {
 function wp_insert_attachment($object, $file = false, $parent = 0) {
 	global $wpdb, $user_ID;
 
-	$defaults = array('post_status' => 'draft', 'post_type' => 'post', 'post_author' => $user_ID,
+	$defaults = array('post_status' => 'inherit', 'post_type' => 'post', 'post_author' => $user_ID,
 		'ping_status' => get_option('default_ping_status'), 'post_parent' => 0,
 		'menu_order' => 0, 'to_ping' =>  '', 'pinged' => '', 'post_password' => '',
-		'guid' => '', 'post_content_filtered' => '', 'post_excerpt' => '', 'import_id' => 0);
+		'guid' => '', 'post_content_filtered' => '', 'post_excerpt' => '', 'import_id' => 0, 'context' => '');
 
 	$object = wp_parse_args($object, $defaults);
 	if ( !empty($parent) )
@@ -3561,7 +3567,9 @@ function wp_insert_attachment($object, $file = false, $parent = 0) {
 		$post_author = $user_ID;
 
 	$post_type = 'attachment';
-	$post_status = 'inherit';
+
+	if ( ! in_array( $post_status, array( 'inherit', 'private' ) ) )
+		$post_status = 'inherit';
 
 	// Make sure we set a valid category.
 	if ( !isset($post_category) || 0 == count($post_category) || !is_array($post_category) ) {
@@ -3664,6 +3672,9 @@ function wp_insert_attachment($object, $file = false, $parent = 0) {
 	if ( isset($post_parent) && $post_parent < 0 )
 		add_post_meta($post_ID, '_wp_attachment_temp_parent', $post_parent, true);
 
+	if ( ! empty( $context ) )
+		add_post_meta( $post_ID, '_wp_attachment_context', $context, true );
+
 	if ( $update) {
 		do_action('edit_attachment', $post_ID);
 	} else {