diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index a66b750cd48..57ea948390b 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   validates :namespace, presence: true
   validates_uniqueness_of :name, scope: :namespace_id
   validates_uniqueness_of :path, scope: :namespace_id
-  validates :import_url, addressable_url: true, if: :external_import?
+  validates :import_url, addressable_url: true, if: :import_url
   validates :star_count, numericality: { greater_than_or_equal_to: 0 }
   validate :check_limit, on: :create
   validate :avatar_type,
@@ -464,8 +464,8 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
     return super(value) unless Gitlab::UrlSanitizer.valid?(value)
 
     import_url = Gitlab::UrlSanitizer.new(value)
-    create_or_update_import_data(credentials: import_url.credentials)
     super(import_url.sanitized_url)
+    create_or_update_import_data(credentials: import_url.credentials) if valid?
   end
 
   def import_url
diff --git a/app/services/projects/import_service.rb b/app/services/projects/import_service.rb
index 163ebf26c84..cdad0426b02 100644
--- a/app/services/projects/import_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/projects/import_service.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ module Projects
     def import_repository
       begin
         gitlab_shell.import_repository(project.repository_storage_path, project.path_with_namespace, project.import_url)
-      rescue Gitlab::Shell::Error => e
+      rescue => e
         raise Error,  "Error importing repository #{project.import_url} into #{project.path_with_namespace} - #{e.message}"
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/models/project_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
index 5a27ccbab0a..d6bb8d0d54f 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
@@ -130,17 +130,35 @@ describe Project, models: true do
       end
     end
 
-    it 'should not allow an invalid URI as import_url' do
+    it 'does not allow an invalid URI as import_url' do
       project2 = build(:project, import_url: 'invalid://')
 
       expect(project2).not_to be_valid
     end
 
-    it 'should allow a valid URI as import_url' do
+    it 'does allow a valid URI as import_url' do
       project2 = build(:project, import_url: 'ssh://test@gitlab.com/project.git')
 
       expect(project2).to be_valid
     end
+
+    it 'does not allow to introduce an empty URI' do
+      project2 = build(:project, import_url: '')
+
+      expect(project2).not_to be_valid
+    end
+
+    it 'does not produce import data on an empty URI' do
+      project2 = build(:project, import_url: '')
+
+      expect(project2.import_data).to be_nil
+    end
+
+    it 'does not produce import data on an invalid URI' do
+      project2 = build(:project, import_url: 'test://')
+
+      expect(project2.import_data).to be_nil
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'default_scope' do