diff --git a/internal/jimm/controller.go b/internal/jimm/controller.go
index 3be35d32f..ea0d16dcc 100644
--- a/internal/jimm/controller.go
+++ b/internal/jimm/controller.go
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ func (j *JIMM) ImportModel(ctx context.Context, u *dbmodel.User, controllerName
 	// models on the incoming cloud.
 	allCredentials, err := j.Database.GetUserCloudCredentials(ctx, &ownerUser, cloudTag.Id())
 	if err != nil {
-		errors.E(op, err)
+		return errors.E(op, err)
 	}
 	if len(allCredentials) == 0 {
 		return errors.E(op, errors.CodeNotFound, fmt.Sprintf("Failed to find cloud credential for user %s on cloud %s", ownerUser.Username, cloudTag.Id()))
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ func (j *JIMM) ImportModel(ctx context.Context, u *dbmodel.User, controllerName
 
 	var usersExcludingLocalUsers []dbmodel.UserModelAccess
 	for _, userAccess := range model.Users {
-		username, err := names.ParseUserTag(userAccess.User.Username)
+		username, err := names.ParseUserTag("user" + "-" + userAccess.User.Username)
 		if err != nil {
 			zapctx.Error(ctx, "failed to parse user tag", zap.String("username", userAccess.User.Username))
 			continue
diff --git a/internal/jimm/controller_test.go b/internal/jimm/controller_test.go
index 4a11d4e42..5db84f37e 100644
--- a/internal/jimm/controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/jimm/controller_test.go
@@ -879,6 +879,26 @@ func TestImportModel(t *testing.T) {
 			return errors.E(errors.CodeNotFound, "model not found")
 		},
 		expectedError: "model not found",
+	}, {
+		about:          "fail import from local user without newOwner flag",
+		user:           "alice@external",
+		controllerName: "test-controller",
+		newOwner:       "",
+		modelUUID:      "00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000001",
+		modelInfo: func(_ context.Context, info *jujuparams.ModelInfo) error {
+			info.Name = "test-model"
+			info.Type = "test-type"
+			info.UUID = "00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000001"
+			info.ControllerUUID = "00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000001"
+			info.DefaultSeries = "test-series"
+			info.CloudTag = names.NewCloudTag("test-cloud").String()
+			info.CloudRegion = "test-region"
+			info.CloudCredentialTag = names.NewCloudCredentialTag("test-cloud/alice@external/unknown-credential").String()
+			info.CloudCredentialValidity = &trueValue
+			info.OwnerTag = names.NewUserTag("local-user").String()
+			return nil
+		},
+		expectedError: `cannot import model from local user, try --owner to switch the model owner`,
 	}, {
 		about:          "cloud credentials not found",
 		user:           "alice@external",