diff --git a/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/history.py b/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/history.py
index ea4ada07b83..380ff43dc2d 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/history.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/web/controllers/history.py
@@ -513,7 +513,6 @@ class HistoryController( BaseController, Sharable, UsesAnnotations, UsesHistory
         """Import another user's history via a shared URL"""
         msg = ""
         user = trans.get_user()
-        user_history = trans.get_history()
         # Set referer message
         if 'referer' in kwd:
             referer = kwd['referer']
@@ -527,11 +526,9 @@ class HistoryController( BaseController, Sharable, UsesAnnotations, UsesHistory
         # Do import.
         if not id:
             return trans.show_error_message( "You must specify a history you want to import.<br>You can %s." % referer_message, use_panels=True )
-        import_history = self.get_history( trans, id, check_ownership=False )
+        import_history = self.get_history( trans, id, check_ownership=False, check_accessible=True )
         if not import_history:
             return trans.show_error_message( "The specified history does not exist.<br>You can %s." % referer_message, use_panels=True )
-        if not import_history.importable:
-            return trans.show_error_message( "The owner of this history has disabled imports via this link.<br>You can %s." % referer_message, use_panels=True )
         if user:
             if import_history.user_id == user.id:
                 return trans.show_error_message( "You cannot import your own history.<br>You can %s." % referer_message, use_panels=True )
@@ -548,8 +545,8 @@ class HistoryController( BaseController, Sharable, UsesAnnotations, UsesHistory
             new_history.add_galaxy_session( galaxy_session, association=association )
             trans.sa_session.add( new_history )
             trans.sa_session.flush()
-            if not user_history.datasets:
-                trans.set_history( new_history )
+            # Set imported history to be user's current history.
+            trans.set_history( new_history )
             return trans.show_ok_message(
                 message="""History "%s" has been imported. <br>You can <a href="%s">start using this history</a> or %s.""" 
                 % ( new_history.name, web.url_for( '/' ), referer_message ), use_panels=True )
diff --git a/test/functional/test_history_functions.py b/test/functional/test_history_functions.py
index 08b2ca1ed8b..5835a4efef0 100644
--- a/test/functional/test_history_functions.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_history_functions.py
@@ -196,10 +196,15 @@ class TestHistory( TwillTestCase ):
         self.disable_access_via_link( self.security.encode_id( history3.id ),
                                      check_str='Anyone can view and import this history',
                                      check_str_after_submit='Make History Accessible via Link' )
-        # Try importing history3 after disabling access via link.
+        # Try importing history3 after disabling access via link. To do this, need to login as regular user 2, who cannot access
+        # history via sharing or via link.
+        self.logout()
+        self.login( email=regular_user2.email )
         self.import_history_via_url( self.security.encode_id( history3.id ),
                                      admin_user.email,
-                                     check_str_after_submit='The owner of this history has disabled imports via this link.' )
+                                     check_str_after_submit='History is not accessible to current user' )
+        self.logout()
+        self.login( email=admin_user.email )
         # Test sharing history3 with an invalid user
         self.share_current_history( 'jack@jill.com',
                                     check_str_after_submit='jack@jill.com is not a valid Galaxy user.' )