diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
index 135ba0654..93944b4a9 100644
--- a/app/models/post.rb
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ class Post < ApplicationRecord
     def filter_metatags(tags)
       @pre_metatags, tags = tags.partition {|x| x =~ /\A(?:rating|parent|-parent|-?locked):/i}
       tags = apply_categorization_metatags(tags)
-      @post_metatags, tags = tags.partition {|x| x =~ /\A(?:-pool|pool|newpool|fav|-fav|child|-favgroup|favgroup|upvote|downvote):/i}
+      @post_metatags, tags = tags.partition {|x| x =~ /\A(?:-pool|pool|newpool|fav|-fav|child|-child|-favgroup|favgroup|upvote|downvote):/i}
       apply_pre_metatags
       return tags
     end
@@ -841,10 +841,20 @@ class Post < ApplicationRecord
         when /^(up|down)vote:(.+)$/i
           vote!($1)
 
+        when /^child:none$/i
+          children.each do |post|
+            post.update!(parent_id: nil)
+          end
+
+        when /^-child:(.+)$/i
+          children.numeric_attribute_matches(:id, $1).each do |post|
+            post.update!(parent_id: nil)
+          end
+
         when /^child:(.+)$/i
-          child = Post.find($1)
-          child.parent_id = id
-          child.save
+          Post.numeric_attribute_matches(:id, $1).where.not(id: id).limit(10).each do |post|
+            post.update!(parent_id: id)
+          end
 
         when /^-favgroup:(\d+)$/i
           favgroup = FavoriteGroup.where("id = ?", $1.to_i).for_creator(CurrentUser.user.id).first
diff --git a/test/unit/post_test.rb b/test/unit/post_test.rb
index d2bdadc3a..91e41a302 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_test.rb
@@ -954,16 +954,26 @@ class PostTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         end
 
         context "for a child" do
-          setup do
-            @child = FactoryBot.create(:post)
-          end
+          should "add and remove children" do
+            @children = FactoryBot.create_list(:post, 3, parent_id: nil)
 
-          should "update the parent relationships for both posts" do
-            @post.update_attributes(:tag_string => "aaa child:#{@child.id}")
-            @post.reload
-            @child.reload
-            assert_equal(@post.id, @child.parent_id)
-            assert(@post.has_children?)
+            @post.update(tag_string: "aaa child:#{@children.first.id}..#{@children.last.id}")
+            assert_equal(true, @post.reload.has_children?)
+            assert_equal(@post.id, @children[0].reload.parent_id)
+            assert_equal(@post.id, @children[1].reload.parent_id)
+            assert_equal(@post.id, @children[2].reload.parent_id)
+
+            @post.update(tag_string: "aaa -child:#{@children.first.id}")
+            assert_equal(true, @post.reload.has_children?)
+            assert_nil(@children[0].reload.parent_id)
+            assert_equal(@post.id, @children[1].reload.parent_id)
+            assert_equal(@post.id, @children[2].reload.parent_id)
+
+            @post.update(tag_string: "aaa child:none")
+            assert_equal(false, @post.reload.has_children?)
+            assert_nil(@children[0].reload.parent_id)
+            assert_nil(@children[1].reload.parent_id)
+            assert_nil(@children[2].reload.parent_id)
           end
         end