diff --git a/app/services/projects/import_service.rb b/app/services/projects/import_service.rb
index 50ec3651515..cd661166c3b 100644
--- a/app/services/projects/import_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/projects/import_service.rb
@@ -34,8 +34,10 @@ module Projects
     def import_repository
       raise Error, 'Blocked import URL.' if Gitlab::UrlBlocker.blocked_url?(project.import_url)
 
+      return if project.github_import?
+
       begin
-        if project.github_import? || project.gitea_import?
+        if project.gitea_import?
           fetch_repository
         else
           clone_repository
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ module Projects
     end
 
     def fetch_repository
-      project.create_repository
+      project.ensure_repository
       project.repository.add_remote(project.import_type, project.import_url)
       project.repository.set_remote_as_mirror(project.import_type)
       project.repository.fetch_remote(project.import_type, forced: true)
diff --git a/spec/services/projects/import_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/projects/import_service_spec.rb
index c0ab1ea704d..034065aab00 100644
--- a/spec/services/projects/import_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/projects/import_service_spec.rb
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
 
       context 'with a Github repository' do
         it 'succeeds if repository import is successfully' do
-          expect_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_return(true)
-          expect_any_instance_of(Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer).to receive(:execute).and_return(true)
+          expect_any_instance_of(Github::Import).to receive(:execute).and_return(true)
 
           result = subject.execute
 
@@ -52,16 +51,7 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
           result = subject.execute
 
           expect(result[:status]).to eq :error
-          expect(result[:message]).to eq "Error importing repository #{project.import_url} into #{project.full_path} - Failed to import the repository"
-        end
-
-        it 'does not remove the GitHub remote' do
-          expect_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_return(true)
-          expect_any_instance_of(Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer).to receive(:execute).and_return(true)
-
-          subject.execute
-
-          expect(project.repository.raw_repository.remote_names).to include('github')
+          expect(result[:message]).to eq "Error importing repository #{project.import_url} into #{project.path_with_namespace} - The remote data could not be imported."
         end
       end
 
@@ -102,8 +92,7 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
       end
 
       it 'succeeds if importer succeeds' do
-        allow_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_return(true)
-        allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer).to receive(:execute).and_return(true)
+        allow_any_instance_of(Github::Import).to receive(:execute).and_return(true)
 
         result = subject.execute
 
@@ -111,10 +100,7 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
       end
 
       it 'flushes various caches' do
-        allow_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:fetch_remote)
-          .and_return(true)
-
-        allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer).to receive(:execute)
+        allow_any_instance_of(Github::Import).to receive(:execute)
           .and_return(true)
 
         expect_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:expire_content_cache)
@@ -123,8 +109,7 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
       end
 
       it 'fails if importer fails' do
-        allow_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_return(true)
-        allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer).to receive(:execute).and_return(false)
+        allow_any_instance_of(Github::Import).to receive(:execute).and_return(false)
 
         result = subject.execute
 
@@ -133,8 +118,7 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
       end
 
       it 'fails if importer raise an error' do
-        allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::Shell).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_return(true)
-        allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer).to receive(:execute).and_raise(Projects::ImportService::Error.new('Github: failed to connect API'))
+        allow_any_instance_of(Github::Import).to receive(:execute).and_raise(Projects::ImportService::Error.new('Github: failed to connect API'))
 
         result = subject.execute
 
@@ -143,9 +127,9 @@ describe Projects::ImportService do
       end
 
       it 'expires content cache after error' do
-        allow_any_instance_of(Project).to receive(:repository_exists?).and_return(false, true)
+        allow_any_instance_of(Project).to receive(:repository_exists?).and_return(false)
 
-        expect_any_instance_of(Gitlab::Shell).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_raise(Gitlab::Shell::Error.new('Failed to import the repository'))
+        expect_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:fetch_remote).and_raise(Gitlab::Shell::Error.new)
         expect_any_instance_of(Repository).to receive(:expire_content_cache)
 
         subject.execute