diff --git a/invokeai/app/services/model_install/model_install_default.py b/invokeai/app/services/model_install/model_install_default.py
index 49d3cfdf7f9..776c46d004f 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/services/model_install/model_install_default.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/services/model_install/model_install_default.py
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ def __init__(
         self._stop_event = threading.Event()
         self._downloads_changed_event = threading.Event()
         self._install_completed_event = threading.Event()
+        self._restore_completed_event = threading.Event()
+        self._restore_completed_event.set()
         self._download_queue = download_queue
         self._download_cache: Dict[int, ModelInstallJob] = {}
         self._running = False
@@ -264,6 +266,8 @@ def _restore_incomplete_installs(self) -> None:
                         self._safe_rmtree(job._install_tmpdir, self._logger)
 
     def _restore_incomplete_installs_async(self) -> None:
+        self._restore_completed_event.clear()
+
         def _run() -> None:
             try:
                 self._logger.info("Restoring incomplete installs")
@@ -271,9 +275,14 @@ def _run() -> None:
                 self._logger.info("Finished restoring incomplete installs")
             except Exception as e:
                 self._logger.error(f"Failed to restore incomplete installs: {e}")
+            finally:
+                self._restore_completed_event.set()
 
         threading.Thread(target=_run, daemon=True).start()
 
+    def _wait_for_restore_complete(self) -> None:
+        self._restore_completed_event.wait()
+
     def _resume_remote_download(self, job: ModelInstallJob) -> None:
         job.status = InstallStatus.WAITING
         if job.download_parts:
@@ -459,6 +468,8 @@ def heuristic_import(
         return self.import_model(source_obj, config)
 
     def import_model(self, source: ModelSource, config: Optional[ModelRecordChanges] = None) -> ModelInstallJob:  # noqa D102
+        self._wait_for_restore_complete()
+
         similar_jobs = [x for x in self.list_jobs() if x.source == source and not x.in_terminal_state]
         if similar_jobs:
             self._logger.warning(f"There is already an active install job for {source}. Not enqueuing.")
@@ -506,6 +517,8 @@ def wait_for_job(self, job: ModelInstallJob, timeout: int = 0) -> ModelInstallJo
 
     def wait_for_installs(self, timeout: int = 0) -> List[ModelInstallJob]:  # noqa D102
         """Block until all installation jobs are done."""
+        self._wait_for_restore_complete()
+
         start = time.time()
         while len(self._download_cache) > 0:
             if self._downloads_changed_event.wait(timeout=0.25):  # in case we miss an event
diff --git a/tests/app/services/model_install/test_model_install.py b/tests/app/services/model_install/test_model_install.py
index de001178adc..2742734d95d 100644
--- a/tests/app/services/model_install/test_model_install.py
+++ b/tests/app/services/model_install/test_model_install.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 import gc
 import platform
 import shutil
+import threading
+import time
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict
@@ -321,6 +323,55 @@ def test_simple_download(mm2_installer: ModelInstallServiceBase, mm2_app_config:
     assert isinstance(bus.events[4], ModelInstallCompleteEvent)  # install completed
 
 
+def test_import_waits_for_startup_restore(
+    mm2_app_config: InvokeAIAppConfig,
+    mm2_record_store,
+    mm2_download_queue,
+    mm2_session,
+    embedding_file: Path,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    installer = ModelInstallService(
+        app_config=mm2_app_config,
+        record_store=mm2_record_store,
+        download_queue=mm2_download_queue,
+        event_bus=TestEventService(),
+        session=mm2_session,
+    )
+    restore_started = threading.Event()
+    release_restore = threading.Event()
+    imported = threading.Event()
+
+    def _blocked_restore() -> None:
+        restore_started.set()
+        assert release_restore.wait(timeout=5)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(installer, "_restore_incomplete_installs", _blocked_restore)
+
+    try:
+        installer.start()
+        assert restore_started.wait(timeout=5)
+
+        import_thread = threading.Thread(
+            target=lambda: (
+                installer.import_model(LocalModelSource(path=embedding_file)),
+                imported.set(),
+            )
+        )
+        import_thread.start()
+
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+        assert not imported.is_set()
+
+        release_restore.set()
+        import_thread.join(timeout=5)
+        assert imported.is_set()
+        installer.wait_for_installs(timeout=5)
+    finally:
+        release_restore.set()
+        installer.stop()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.timeout(timeout=10, method="thread")
 def test_huggingface_install(mm2_installer: ModelInstallServiceBase, mm2_app_config: InvokeAIAppConfig) -> None:
     source = URLModelSource(url=Url("https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/sdxl-turbo"))