diff --git a/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js b/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
index 5732beada..67bef01ce 100644
--- a/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
+++ b/src/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
@@ -258,21 +258,18 @@ const doImport = async (req, res, padId) => {
 };
 
 exports.doImport = async (req, res, padId) => {
-  let status = 'ok';
+  let httpStatus = 200;
+  let code = 0;
+  let message = 'ok';
   let directDatabaseAccess;
   try {
     directDatabaseAccess = await doImport(req, res, padId);
   } catch (err) {
-    if (!(err instanceof ImportError) || !err.status) throw err;
-    status = err.status;
+    const known = err instanceof ImportError && err.status;
+    if (!known) logger.error(`Internal error during import: ${err.stack || err}`);
+    httpStatus = known ? 400 : 500;
+    code = known ? 1 : 2;
+    message = known ? err.status : 'internalError';
   }
-  // close the connection
-  res.send([
-    '<script>',
-    "document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {",
-    '  window.parent.padimpexp.handleFrameCall(',
-    `      ${JSON.stringify(directDatabaseAccess)}, ${JSON.stringify(status)});`,
-    '});',
-    '</script>',
-  ].join('\n'));
+  res.status(httpStatus).json({code, message, data: {directDatabaseAccess}});
 };
diff --git a/src/static/js/pad_impexp.js b/src/static/js/pad_impexp.js
index 07848d141..60a51354f 100644
--- a/src/static/js/pad_impexp.js
+++ b/src/static/js/pad_impexp.js
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@
  */
 
 const padimpexp = (() => {
-  // /// import
-  let currentImportTimer = null;
+  let pad;
 
+  // /// import
   const addImportFrames = () => {
     $('#import .importframe').remove();
     const iframe = $('<iframe>')
@@ -42,35 +42,38 @@ const padimpexp = (() => {
     $('#importmessagefail').fadeOut('fast');
   };
 
-  const fileInputSubmit = () => {
+  const fileInputSubmit = (e) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
     $('#importmessagefail').fadeOut('fast');
-    if (!window.confirm(html10n.get('pad.impexp.confirmimport'))) return false;
-    currentImportTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
-      if (!currentImportTimer) return;
-      currentImportTimer = null;
-      importErrorMessage('Request timed out.');
-      importDone();
-    }, 25000); // time out after some number of seconds
+    if (!window.confirm(html10n.get('pad.impexp.confirmimport'))) return;
     $('#importsubmitinput').attr({disabled: true}).val(html10n.get('pad.impexp.importing'));
     window.setTimeout(() => $('#importfileinput').attr({disabled: true}), 0);
     $('#importarrow').stop(true, true).hide();
     $('#importstatusball').show();
-    return true;
-  };
-
-  const importDone = () => {
-    $('#importsubmitinput').removeAttr('disabled').val(html10n.get('pad.impexp.importbutton'));
-    window.setTimeout(() => $('#importfileinput').removeAttr('disabled'), 0);
-    $('#importstatusball').hide();
-    importClearTimeout();
-    addImportFrames();
-  };
-
-  const importClearTimeout = () => {
-    if (currentImportTimer) {
-      window.clearTimeout(currentImportTimer);
-      currentImportTimer = null;
-    }
+    (async () => {
+      const {code, message, data: {directDatabaseAccess} = {}} = await $.ajax({
+        url: `${window.location.href.split('?')[0].split('#')[0]}/import`,
+        method: 'POST',
+        data: new FormData(this),
+        processData: false,
+        contentType: false,
+        dataType: 'json',
+        timeout: 25000,
+      }).catch((err) => {
+        if (err.responseJSON) return err.responseJSON;
+        return {code: 2, message: 'Unknown import error'};
+      });
+      if (code !== 0) {
+        importErrorMessage(message);
+      } else {
+        $('#import_export').removeClass('popup-show');
+        if (directDatabaseAccess) pad.switchToPad(clientVars.padId);
+      }
+      $('#importsubmitinput').removeAttr('disabled').val(html10n.get('pad.impexp.importbutton'));
+      window.setTimeout(() => $('#importfileinput').removeAttr('disabled'), 0);
+      $('#importstatusball').hide();
+      addImportFrames();
+    })();
   };
 
   const importErrorMessage = (status) => {
@@ -118,7 +121,6 @@ const padimpexp = (() => {
   }
 
   // ///
-  let pad = undefined;
   const self = {
     init: (_pad) => {
       pad = _pad;
@@ -126,9 +128,6 @@ const padimpexp = (() => {
       // get /p/padname
       // if /p/ isn't available due to a rewrite we use the clientVars padId
       const padRootPath = /.*\/p\/[^/]+/.exec(document.location.pathname) || clientVars.padId;
-      // get http://example.com/p/padname without Params
-      const dl = document.location;
-      const padRootUrl = `${dl.protocol}//${dl.host}${dl.pathname}`;
 
       // i10l buttom import
       $('#importsubmitinput').val(html10n.get('pad.impexp.importbutton'));
@@ -141,9 +140,6 @@ const padimpexp = (() => {
       $('#exportetherpada').attr('href', `${padRootPath}/export/etherpad`);
       $('#exportplaina').attr('href', `${padRootPath}/export/txt`);
 
-      // activate action to import in the form
-      $('#importform').attr('action', `${padRootUrl}/import`);
-
       // hide stuff thats not avaible if abiword/soffice is disabled
       if (clientVars.exportAvailable === 'no') {
         $('#exportworda').remove();
@@ -170,21 +166,6 @@ const padimpexp = (() => {
       $('#importform').unbind('submit').submit(fileInputSubmit);
       $('.disabledexport').click(cantExport);
     },
-    handleFrameCall: (directDatabaseAccess, status) => {
-      if (status !== 'ok') {
-        importErrorMessage(status);
-      } else {
-        $('#import_export').removeClass('popup-show');
-      }
-
-      if (directDatabaseAccess) {
-        // Switch to the pad without redrawing the page
-        pad.switchToPad(clientVars.padId);
-        $('#import_export').removeClass('popup-show');
-      }
-
-      importDone();
-    },
     disable: () => {
       $('#impexp-disabled-clickcatcher').show();
       $('#import').css('opacity', 0.5);
diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexportGetPost.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexportGetPost.js
index 73b58a2f3..86d7ee457 100644
--- a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexportGetPost.js
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/importexportGetPost.js
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
 
 
     describe('Import/Export tests requiring AbiWord/LibreOffice', function () {
+      this.timeout(60000);
+
       before(async function () {
         if ((!settings.abiword || settings.abiword.indexOf('/') === -1) &&
             (!settings.soffice || settings.soffice.indexOf('/') === -1)) {
@@ -141,7 +143,12 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
         await agent.post(`/p/${testPadId}/import`)
             .attach('file', wordDoc, {filename: '/test.doc', contentType: 'application/msword'})
             .expect(200)
-            .expect(/FrameCall\('undefined', 'ok'\);/);
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect((res) => assert.deepEqual(res.body, {
+              code: 0,
+              message: 'ok',
+              data: {directDatabaseAccess: false},
+            }));
       });
 
       it('exports DOC', async function () {
@@ -161,7 +168,12 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
                   'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document',
             })
             .expect(200)
-            .expect(/FrameCall\('undefined', 'ok'\);/);
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect((res) => assert.deepEqual(res.body, {
+              code: 0,
+              message: 'ok',
+              data: {directDatabaseAccess: false},
+            }));
       });
 
       it('exports DOC from imported DOCX', async function () {
@@ -177,7 +189,12 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
         await agent.post(`/p/${testPadId}/import`)
             .attach('file', pdfDoc, {filename: '/test.pdf', contentType: 'application/pdf'})
             .expect(200)
-            .expect(/FrameCall\('undefined', 'ok'\);/);
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect((res) => assert.deepEqual(res.body, {
+              code: 0,
+              message: 'ok',
+              data: {directDatabaseAccess: false},
+            }));
       });
 
       it('exports PDF', async function () {
@@ -193,7 +210,12 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
         await agent.post(`/p/${testPadId}/import`)
             .attach('file', odtDoc, {filename: '/test.odt', contentType: 'application/odt'})
             .expect(200)
-            .expect(/FrameCall\('undefined', 'ok'\);/);
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect((res) => assert.deepEqual(res.body, {
+              code: 0,
+              message: 'ok',
+              data: {directDatabaseAccess: false},
+            }));
       });
 
       it('exports ODT', async function () {
@@ -213,7 +235,12 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
             contentType: 'application/etherpad',
           })
           .expect(200)
-          .expect(/FrameCall\('true', 'ok'\);/);
+          .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+          .expect((res) => assert.deepEqual(res.body, {
+            code: 0,
+            message: 'ok',
+            data: {directDatabaseAccess: true},
+          }));
     });
 
     it('exports Etherpad', async function () {
@@ -237,8 +264,12 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
       settings.allowUnknownFileEnds = false;
       await agent.post(`/p/${testPadId}/import`)
           .attach('file', padText, {filename: '/test.xasdasdxx', contentType: 'weirdness/jobby'})
-          .expect(200)
-          .expect((res) => assert.doesNotMatch(res.text, /FrameCall\('undefined', 'ok'\);/));
+          .expect(400)
+          .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+          .expect((res) => {
+            assert.equal(res.body.code, 1);
+            assert.equal(res.body.message, 'uploadFailed');
+          });
     });
 
     describe('Import authorization checks', function () {