diff --git a/bin/update_fields.php b/bin/update_fields.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..82f4e007
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/update_fields.php
@@ -0,0 +1,216 @@
+#!/usr/bin/php
+<?php
+/*
+ Updates objects field names
+
+ When template fields are modified and their names are changed, objects
+ based on that template are not automatically updated to take up the
+ new field names. This script should be used after a template field name
+ has been modified in order to update objects.
+
+ Options:
+  -c: core
+  -t: comma separated list of template ids (optional)
+  -f: field names to update, a comma separated list of
+  field name changes where each item is a pair of the old and
+  new field name separated by a full colon (:)
+  -h --help: prints usage information
+
+ Note! if no template id is specifed the updated will be made to ALL objects
+ 
+ Examples:
+
+ 	php update_fields.php -c mycore -t 1123,230 -f age:victim_age,sex:gender
+	php update_fields.php -c mycore -f name:first_name
+
+ After running this script, you should update the solr prepared date and reindex the solr core.
+	
+
+ */
+
+namespace CB;
+
+ini_set('max_execution_time', 0);
+
+// include cron init script
+// sets up the environment and also
+// the DB based on the selected core
+$cronPath = realpath(
+    dirname(__FILE__) . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR .
+    '..' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR .
+    'sys' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR .
+    'crons' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+) . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
+
+$cron_id = 'dummy';
+include $cronPath.'init.php';
+
+\CB\Config::setFlag('disableActivityLog', true);
+
+run();
+
+function run () {
+	$opts = getopt('c:f:t:h');
+	if (isset($opts['h'])) {
+		printUsage();
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!isset($opts['f']) || empty($opts['f'])) {
+		println('You have not specified fields to update.');
+		printUsage();
+		return;
+	}
+	$ts = null;
+	if (!isset($opts['t']) || empty($opts['t'])) {
+		$ans = readline('No templates specified. Do you want to update ALL templates? (y/n) ');
+		if ($ans != 'y') {
+			println('Aborted.');
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+	else {
+		$ts = parseTemplates($opts['t']);
+	}
+	$fs = parseFields($opts['f']);
+	println("Updating objects...");
+	$updater = new FieldUpdater($fs, $ts);
+	$updater->updateObjects();
+	println('Done');
+	println("Now update solr prepared data and reindex the solr core");
+}
+
+
+class FieldUpdater {
+
+	private $templateIds;
+	private $fields;
+
+	/**
+	 * @param array $fs mapping of old field names to new names
+	 * @param array $ts list of template ids
+	 */
+	function __construct ($fs, $ts=null) {
+		$this->templateIds = $ts;
+		$this->fields = $fs;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetches and updates objects
+	 * based on the set template ids and field
+	 * names to udpate
+	 */
+	public function updateObjects () {
+		$res = $this->fetchObjectIds();
+		while ($row = $res->fetch_assoc()) {
+			$this->updateObject($row);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * update the object with the specified id
+	 * @param array $row db row with id and data fields
+	 */
+	public function updateObject ($row) {
+		$data = json_decode($row['data'], true);
+		if (empty($data)) {
+			println("Empty data for object ".$row['id']);
+			return;
+		}
+		foreach ($this->fields as $old=>$new) {
+			if (array_key_exists($old, $data)) {
+				$data[$new] = $data[$old];
+				unset($data[$old]);
+			}
+		}
+		$this->saveToDb($row['id'], $data);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * fetch object ids from the db
+	 * @return resource the db cursor
+	 */
+	private function fetchObjectIds () {
+		$q = $this->buildQuery();
+		return DB\dbQuery($q);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * builds sql query to use for fetching
+	 * objects based on the specified templates
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	private function buildQuery () {
+		$q = "SELECT o.id, o.data
+			  FROM objects o";
+		if (!empty($this->templateIds)) {
+			$ids = implode(',', $this->templateIds);
+			$q .= " JOIN tree t on o.id=t.id AND t.template_id in (".$ids.")";
+		}
+		return $q;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * persists object data in db
+	 * @param mixed $id id of the object to update
+	 * @param array $data
+	 */
+	private function saveToDb ($id, $data) {
+		$data = json_encode($data);
+		$q = "UPDATE objects SET data=$2
+			  WHERE id=$1";
+		DB\dbQuery($q, [$id, $data]);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * parses the templates string arg and returns
+ * an array of template ids
+ * @param string $t comma separated list of template
+ * ids: id1,id2,id3
+ * @return array
+ */
+function parseTemplates ($t) {
+	return explode(',', $t);
+}
+
+/**
+ * parses the fields string arg and returns
+ * an array mapping old fields to new fields
+ * @param string $f string-encoded list old to new fields
+ * mapping in the form oldName1:newName1,oldName2:newName2
+ * @return array associative array mapping old field names
+ * to new names
+ */
+function parseFields ($f) {
+	$pairs = explode(',', $f);
+	return array_reduce($pairs, function($res, $item) {
+		$oldNew =  explode(':', $item);
+		$res[$oldNew[0]] = $oldNew[1];
+		return $res;
+	}, []);
+}
+
+/**
+ * prints helpful usage info
+ */
+function printUsage() {
+	println('php update_fields.php -c <core> -f <fields> -t <templates>');
+	println('Options:');
+	println('-c : the Casebox core name without the cb_ prefix');
+	println('-f : list of fields to updated in the form  oldName1:newName1,oldName2:newName2');
+	println('-t (optional): comma-separated list of template ids');
+	println('Note: If option -t is provided, only objects from those templates will be updated,'
+		.' otherwise ALL objects will be updated.');
+	println();
+	println("Example:");
+	println("php update_fields.php -c demo -f age:victim_age,sex:gender -t 3849,1234");
+}
+
+/**
+ * ouputs the specified string followed by a new line
+ * @param string $s
+ */
+function println ($s='') {
+	echo "$s\n";
+}