diff --git a/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py b/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py
index 71a31f7b42..f5aadca695 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ from invokeai.backend.model_manager import (
     DuplicateModelException,
     InvalidModelException,
     ModelConfigBase,
+    ModelInstallJob,
     SchedulerPredictionType,
     UnknownModelException,
 )
+from invokeai.backend.model_manager.download import DownloadJobStatus
 from invokeai.backend.model_manager.merge import MergeInterpolationMethod
 
 from ..dependencies import ApiDependencies
@@ -39,6 +41,15 @@ class ModelsList(BaseModel):
     models: list[Union[tuple(OPENAPI_MODEL_CONFIGS)]]
 
 
+class ModelImportStatus(BaseModel):
+    """Return information about a background installation job."""
+
+    job_id: int
+    source: str
+    priority: int
+    status: DownloadJobStatus
+
+
 @models_router.get(
     "/",
     operation_id="list_models",
@@ -107,36 +118,31 @@ async def update_model(
         409: {"description": "There is already a model corresponding to this path or repo_id"},
     },
     status_code=201,
-    response_model=ImportModelResponse,
+    response_model=ModelImportStatus,
 )
 async def import_model(
     location: str = Body(description="A model path, repo_id or URL to import"),
     prediction_type: Optional[Literal["v_prediction", "epsilon", "sample"]] = Body(
         description="Prediction type for SDv2 checkpoint files", default="v_prediction"
     ),
-) -> ImportModelResponse:
-    """Add a model using its local path, repo_id, or remote URL. Model characteristics will be probed and configured automatically"""
+) -> ModelImportStatus:
+    """
+    Add a model using its local path, repo_id, or remote URL.
+
+    Model characteristics will be probed and configured automatically.
+    The return object is a ModelInstallJob job ID. The work will be
+    performed in the background. Listen on the event bus for a series of
+    `model_event` events with an `id` matching the returned job id to get
+    the progress, completion status, errors, and information on the
+    model that was installed.
+    """
 
-    items_to_import = {location}
-    prediction_types = {x.value: x for x in SchedulerPredictionType}
     logger = ApiDependencies.invoker.services.logger
-
     try:
-        installed_models = ApiDependencies.invoker.services.model_manager.heuristic_import(
-            items_to_import=items_to_import, prediction_type_helper=lambda x: prediction_types.get(prediction_type)
+        result = ApiDependencies.invoker.services.model_manager.install_model(
+            location, model_attributes={"prediction_type": SchedulerPredictionType(prediction_type)}
         )
-        info = installed_models.get(location)
-
-        if not info:
-            logger.error("Import failed")
-            raise HTTPException(status_code=415)
-
-        logger.info(f"Successfully imported {location}, got {info}")
-        model_raw = ApiDependencies.invoker.services.model_manager.list_model(
-            model_name=info.name, base_model=info.base_model, model_type=info.model_type
-        )
-        return parse_obj_as(ImportModelResponse, model_raw)
-
+        return ModelImportStatus(job_id=result.id, source=result.source, priority=result.priority, status=result.status)
     except UnknownModelException as e:
         logger.error(str(e))
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=str(e))
diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/models.ts b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/models.ts
index 9be8bd13f6..9673544cb5 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/models.ts
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/models.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ export const modelsApi = api.injectEndpoints({
         const tags: ApiFullTagDescription[] = [
           { type: 'MainModel', id: LIST_TAG },
         ];
-
         if (result) {
           tags.push(
             ...result.ids.map((id) => ({