diff --git a/nimbus/config.nim b/nimbus/config.nim
index f3fbd9768..be628dc56 100644
--- a/nimbus/config.nim
+++ b/nimbus/config.nim
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ type
   NimbusCmd* {.pure.} = enum
     noCommand
     `import`
+    `import-rlp`
 
   RpcFlag* {.pure.} = enum
     ## RPC flags
@@ -485,11 +486,6 @@ type
         name: "jwt-secret" .}: Option[InputFile]
 
     of `import`:
-      blocksFile* {.
-        argument
-        desc: "One or more RLP encoded block(s) files"
-        name: "blocks-file" }: seq[InputFile]
-
       maxBlocks* {.
         desc: "Maximum number of blocks to import"
         defaultValue: uint64.high()
@@ -540,6 +536,12 @@ type
         defaultValue: false
         name: "debug-store-slot-hashes".}: bool
 
+    of `import-rlp`:
+      blocksFile* {.
+        argument
+        desc: "One or more RLP encoded block(s) files"
+        name: "blocks-file" }: seq[InputFile]
+
 func parseCmdArg(T: type NetworkId, p: string): T
     {.gcsafe, raises: [ValueError].} =
   parseBiggestUInt(p).T
diff --git a/nimbus/core/block_import.nim b/nimbus/core/block_import.nim
index 54e98e3f8..70a0fe96a 100644
--- a/nimbus/core/block_import.nim
+++ b/nimbus/core/block_import.nim
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@
 
 import
   chronicles,
-  eth/rlp, stew/io2,
+  eth/rlp,
+  stew/io2,
   ./chain,
-  ../config
+  ../config,
+  ../utils/utils
 
 proc importRlpBlocks*(blocksRlp: openArray[byte],
                       chain: ForkedChainRef,
@@ -23,10 +25,9 @@ proc importRlpBlocks*(blocksRlp: openArray[byte],
     # the encoded rlp can contains one or more blocks
     rlp = rlpFromBytes(blocksRlp)
     blk: Block
+    printBanner = false
+    firstSkip = Opt.none(uint64)
 
-  # even though the new imported blocks have block number
-  # smaller than head, we keep importing it.
-  # it maybe a side chain.
   while rlp.hasData:
     blk = try:
       rlp.read(Block)
@@ -34,7 +35,36 @@ proc importRlpBlocks*(blocksRlp: openArray[byte],
       # terminate if there was a decoding error
       return err($e.name & ": " & e.msg)
 
-    ? chain.importBlock(blk)
+    if blk.header.number <= chain.baseNumber:
+      if firstSkip.isNone:
+        firstSkip = Opt.some(blk.header.number)
+      continue
+
+    if firstSkip.isSome:
+      if firstSkip.get == blk.header.number - 1:
+        info "Block number smaller than base",
+          skip=firstSkip.get
+      else:
+        info "Block number smaller than base",
+          startSkip=firstSkip.get,
+          skipTo=blk.header.number-1
+      firstSkip.reset()
+
+    if not printBanner:
+      info "Start importing block",
+        hash=blk.header.blockHash.short,
+        number=blk.header.number
+      printBanner = true
+
+    let res = chain.importBlock(blk)
+    if res.isErr:
+      error "Error occured when importing block",
+        hash=blk.header.blockHash.short,
+        number=blk.header.number,
+        msg=res.error
+      if finalize:
+        ? chain.forkChoice(chain.latestHash, chain.latestHash)
+      return res
 
   if finalize:
     ? chain.forkChoice(chain.latestHash, chain.latestHash)
diff --git a/nimbus/nimbus_execution_client.nim b/nimbus/nimbus_execution_client.nim
index 342b9fbc5..5a975199b 100644
--- a/nimbus/nimbus_execution_client.nim
+++ b/nimbus/nimbus_execution_client.nim
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import
   ./constants,
   ./nimbus_desc,
   ./nimbus_import,
+  ./core/block_import,
   ./core/eip4844,
   ./db/core_db/persistent,
   ./db/storage_types,
@@ -235,6 +236,8 @@ proc run(nimbus: NimbusNode, conf: NimbusConf) =
   case conf.cmd
   of NimbusCmd.`import`:
     importBlocks(conf, com)
+  of NimbusCmd.`import-rlp`:
+    importRlpBlocks(conf, com)
   else:
     basicServices(nimbus, conf, com)
     manageAccounts(nimbus, conf)
diff --git a/nimbus/nimbus_import.nim b/nimbus/nimbus_import.nim
index 2b1a83429..eb15f4cdb 100644
--- a/nimbus/nimbus_import.nim
+++ b/nimbus/nimbus_import.nim
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import
   beacon_chain/networking/network_metadata,
   ./config,
   ./common/common,
-  ./core/[block_import, chain],
+  ./core/chain,
   ./db/era1_db,
   ./utils/era_helpers
 
@@ -341,5 +341,3 @@ proc importBlocks*(conf: NimbusConf, com: CommonRef) =
 
       if blocks.len > 0:
         process()
-
-  importRlpBlocks(conf, com)
diff --git a/tests/test_configuration.nim b/tests/test_configuration.nim
index 3a6966bce..d558955c0 100644
--- a/tests/test_configuration.nim
+++ b/tests/test_configuration.nim
@@ -46,12 +46,12 @@ proc configurationMain*() =
       let ff = makeConfig(@["--chaindb:ariPrune"])
       check ff.chainDbMode == ChainDbMode.AriPrune
 
-    test "import":
+    test "import-rlp":
       let aa = makeTestConfig()
       check aa.cmd == NimbusCmd.noCommand
 
-      let bb = makeConfig(@["import", genesisFile])
-      check bb.cmd == NimbusCmd.`import`
+      let bb = makeConfig(@["import-rlp", genesisFile])
+      check bb.cmd == NimbusCmd.`import-rlp`
       check bb.blocksFile[0].string == genesisFile
 
     test "custom-network loading config file with no genesis data":