diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/ArchiveModelManager.cs b/osu.Game/Database/ArchiveModelManager.cs
index b567f0c0e3..9fed8e03ac 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/ArchiveModelManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/ArchiveModelManager.cs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
             return Import(notification, paths);
         }
 
-        protected async Task Import(ProgressNotification notification, params string[] paths)
+        protected async Task<IEnumerable<TModel>> Import(ProgressNotification notification, params string[] paths)
         {
             notification.Progress = 0;
             notification.Text = $"{HumanisedModelName.Humanize(LetterCasing.Title)} import is initialising...";
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
 
                 notification.State = ProgressNotificationState.Completed;
             }
+
+            return imported;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/DownloadableArchiveModelManager.cs b/osu.Game/Database/DownloadableArchiveModelManager.cs
index 78c0837ce9..e3c6ad25e6 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/DownloadableArchiveModelManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/DownloadableArchiveModelManager.cs
@@ -76,7 +76,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
                 Task.Factory.StartNew(async () =>
                 {
                     // This gets scheduled back to the update thread, but we want the import to run in the background.
-                    await Import(notification, filename);
+                    var imported = await Import(notification, filename);
+
+                    // for now a failed import will be marked as a failed download for simplicity.
+                    if (!imported.Any())
+                        DownloadFailed?.Invoke(request);
+
                     currentDownloads.Remove(request);
                 }, TaskCreationOptions.LongRunning);
             };