diff --git a/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer.rb b/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer.rb
index 86b49a5021afadb358ed1aec6ed8a000fb041ab5..02ffb43d89bd42e3c4da8ca049cd02d9e5cc7bfb 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ module Gitlab
       end
 
       def handle_errors
-        project.update_column(:import_error, errors.to_json) unless errors.empty?
+        return unless errors.any?
+
+        project.update_column(:import_error, {
+          message: 'The remote data could not be fully imported.',
+          errors: errors
+        }.to_json)
       end
 
       def import_labels
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer_spec.rb
index 2c8d86ef9b6bcafb0a15eb89a11c9df1c5255ce5..b7c3bc4e1a74983c75c024262d4659597d61d1cf 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/github_import/importer_spec.rb
@@ -110,19 +110,22 @@ describe Gitlab::GithubImport::Importer, lib: true do
       end
 
       it 'stores error messages' do
-        errors = [
-          { type: :label, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug", errors: "Validation failed: Title has already been taken" },
-          { type: :milestone, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/milestones/1", errors: "Validation failed: Title has already been taken" },
-          { type: :issue, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/1347", errors: "Invalid Repository. Use user/repo format." },
-          { type: :issue, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/1348", errors: "Validation failed: Title can't be blank, Title is too short (minimum is 0 characters)" },
-          { type: :pull_request, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/pulls/1347", errors: "Invalid Repository. Use user/repo format." },
-          { type: :pull_request, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/pulls/1347", errors: "Validation failed: Validate branches Cannot Create: This merge request already exists: [\"New feature\"]" },
-          { type: :wiki, errors: "Gitlab::Shell::Error" }
-        ]
+        error = {
+          message: 'The remote data could not be fully imported.',
+          errors: [
+            { type: :label, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug", errors: "Validation failed: Title has already been taken" },
+            { type: :milestone, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/milestones/1", errors: "Validation failed: Title has already been taken" },
+            { type: :issue, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/1347", errors: "Invalid Repository. Use user/repo format." },
+            { type: :issue, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/1348", errors: "Validation failed: Title can't be blank, Title is too short (minimum is 0 characters)" },
+            { type: :pull_request, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/pulls/1347", errors: "Invalid Repository. Use user/repo format." },
+            { type: :pull_request, url: "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/pulls/1347", errors: "Validation failed: Validate branches Cannot Create: This merge request already exists: [\"New feature\"]" },
+            { type: :wiki, errors: "Gitlab::Shell::Error" }
+          ]
+        }
 
         described_class.new(project).execute
 
-        expect(project.import_error).to eq errors.to_json
+        expect(project.import_error).to eq error.to_json
       end
     end
   end