diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index bb3f74c4b89..44d1190cc5b 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   attr_accessor :old_path_with_namespace
   attr_accessor :template_name
   attr_writer :pipeline_status
+  attr_accessor :skip_disk_validation
 
   alias_attribute :title, :name
 
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   validates :import_url, importable_url: true, if: [:external_import?, :import_url_changed?]
   validates :star_count, numericality: { greater_than_or_equal_to: 0 }
   validate :check_limit, on: :create
-  validate :can_create_repository?, on: [:create, :update], if: ->(project) { !project.persisted? || project.renamed? }
+  validate :check_repository_path_availability, on: [:create, :update], if: ->(project) { !project.persisted? || project.renamed? }
   validate :avatar_type,
     if: ->(project) { project.avatar.present? && project.avatar_changed? }
   validates :avatar, file_size: { maximum: 200.kilobytes.to_i }
@@ -1018,7 +1019,8 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   # Check if repository already exists on disk
-  def can_create_repository?
+  def check_repository_path_availability
+    return true if skip_disk_validation
     return false unless repository_storage_path
 
     expires_full_path_cache # we need to clear cache to validate renames correctly
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/sh-fix-import-repos.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-fix-import-repos.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5764b3bdc01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-fix-import-repos.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix gitlab-rake gitlab:import:repos task failing
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/bare_repository_importer.rb b/lib/gitlab/bare_repository_importer.rb
index 9323bfc7fb2..1d98d187805 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/bare_repository_importer.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/bare_repository_importer.rb
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ module Gitlab
         name: project_path,
         path: project_path,
         repository_storage: storage_name,
-        namespace_id: group&.id
+        namespace_id: group&.id,
+        skip_disk_validation: true
       }
 
       project = Projects::CreateService.new(user, project_params).execute
diff --git a/spec/models/project_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
index 868a843ab0a..c94481d53c3 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
@@ -2793,6 +2793,17 @@ describe Project do
     end
   end
 
+  describe '#check_repository_path_availability' do
+    let(:project) { build(:project) }
+
+    it 'skips gitlab-shell exists?' do
+      project.skip_disk_validation = true
+
+      expect(project.gitlab_shell).not_to receive(:exists?)
+      expect(project.check_repository_path_availability).to be_truthy
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch' do
     let(:project) { build(:project) }
 
diff --git a/spec/services/projects/create_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/projects/create_service_spec.rb
index c2ec805ea99..35f0c85b0ec 100644
--- a/spec/services/projects/create_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/projects/create_service_spec.rb
@@ -209,6 +209,15 @@ describe Projects::CreateService, '#execute' do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'when skip_disk_validation is used' do
+    it 'sets the project attribute' do
+      opts[:skip_disk_validation] = true
+      project = create_project(user, opts)
+
+      expect(project.skip_disk_validation).to be_truthy
+    end
+  end
+
   def create_project(user, opts)
     Projects::CreateService.new(user, opts).execute
   end