diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databaseFetcher.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databaseFetcher.ts
index a0d0e785079..3574c6cc6ff 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databaseFetcher.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databaseFetcher.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { Uri, ProgressOptions, ProgressLocation, commands, window } from "vscode
 import * as fs from "fs-extra";
 import * as path from "path";
 import { DatabaseManager, DatabaseItem } from "./databases";
-import { ProgressCallback, showAndLogErrorMessage, withProgress } from "./helpers";
+import { ProgressCallback, showAndLogErrorMessage, withProgress, showAndLogInformationMessage } from "./helpers";
 
 /**
  * Prompts a user to fetch a database from a remote location. Database is assumed to be an archive file.
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { ProgressCallback, showAndLogErrorMessage, withProgress } from "./helper
  * @param databasesManager the DatabaseManager
  * @param storagePath where to store the unzipped database.
  */
-export default async function promptFetchDatabase(databasesManager: DatabaseManager, storagePath: string): Promise<DatabaseItem | undefined>  {
+export async function promptImportInternetDatabase(databasesManager: DatabaseManager, storagePath: string): Promise<DatabaseItem | undefined>  {
   let item: DatabaseItem | undefined = undefined;
 
   try {
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export default async function promptFetchDatabase(databasesManager: DatabaseMana
       prompt: 'Enter URL of zipfile of database to download'
     });
     if (databaseUrl) {
-      validateUrl(databaseUrl);
+      validateHttpsUrl(databaseUrl);
 
       const progressOptions: ProgressOptions = {
         location: ProgressLocation.Notification,
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export default async function promptFetchDatabase(databasesManager: DatabaseMana
       await withProgress(progressOptions, async progress => (item = await databaseArchiveFetcher(databaseUrl, databasesManager, storagePath, progress)));
       commands.executeCommand('codeQLDatabases.focus');
     }
+    showAndLogInformationMessage('Database downloaded and imported successfully.');
   } catch (e) {
     showAndLogErrorMessage(e.message);
   }
@@ -37,6 +38,33 @@ export default async function promptFetchDatabase(databasesManager: DatabaseMana
   return item;
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * Imports a database from a local archive.
+ *
+ * @param databaseUrl the file url of the archive to import
+ * @param databasesManager the DatabaseManager
+ * @param storagePath where to store the unzipped database.
+ */
+export async function importArchiveDatabase(databaseUrl: string, databasesManager: DatabaseManager, storagePath: string): Promise<DatabaseItem | undefined>  {
+  let item: DatabaseItem | undefined = undefined;
+  try {
+    const progressOptions: ProgressOptions = {
+      location: ProgressLocation.Notification,
+      title: 'Importing database from archive',
+      cancellable: false,
+    };
+    await withProgress(progressOptions, async progress => (item = await databaseArchiveFetcher(databaseUrl, databasesManager, storagePath, progress)));
+    commands.executeCommand('codeQLDatabases.focus');
+
+    showAndLogInformationMessage('Database unzipped and imported successfully.');
+  } catch (e) {
+    showAndLogErrorMessage(e.message);
+  }
+  return item;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Fetches an archive database. The database might be on the internet
  * or in the local filesystem.
@@ -46,7 +74,7 @@ export default async function promptFetchDatabase(databasesManager: DatabaseMana
  * @param storagePath where to store the unzipped database.
  * @param progressCallback optional callback to send progress messages to
  */
-export async function databaseArchiveFetcher(
+async function databaseArchiveFetcher(
   databaseUrl: string,
   databasesManager: DatabaseManager,
   storagePath: string,
@@ -54,7 +82,7 @@ export async function databaseArchiveFetcher(
 ): Promise<DatabaseItem> {
   progressCallback?.({
     maxStep: 3,
-    message: 'Downloading database',
+    message: 'Getting database',
     step: 1
   });
   if (!storagePath) {
@@ -75,6 +103,7 @@ export async function databaseArchiveFetcher(
     step: 3
   });
 
+  // find the path to the database. The actual database might be in a sub-folder
   const dbPath = await findDirWithFile(unzipPath, '.dbinfo', 'codeql-database.yml');
   if (dbPath) {
     const item = await databasesManager.openDatabase(Uri.parse(dbPath));
@@ -106,7 +135,7 @@ async function getStorageFolder(storagePath: string, urlStr: string) {
 }
 
 
-function validateUrl(databaseUrl: string) {
+function validateHttpsUrl(databaseUrl: string) {
   let uri;
   try {
     uri = Uri.parse(databaseUrl, true);
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases-ui.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases-ui.ts
index 5cd81486103..e35085bd000 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases-ui.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases-ui.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { logger } from './logging';
 import { clearCacheInDatabase, UserCancellationException } from './run-queries';
 import * as qsClient from './queryserver-client';
 import { upgradeDatabase } from './upgrades';
-import promptFetchDatabase, { databaseArchiveFetcher } from './databaseFetcher';
+import { importArchiveDatabase, promptImportInternetDatabase } from './databaseFetcher';
 
 type ThemableIconPath = { light: string; dark: string } | string;
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ export class DatabaseUI extends DisposableObject {
   }
 
   private handleChooseDatabaseInternet = async (): Promise<DatabaseItem | undefined> => {
-    return await promptFetchDatabase(this.databaseManager, this.storagePath);
+    return await promptImportInternetDatabase(this.databaseManager, this.storagePath);
   }
 
   private handleSortByName = async () => {
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ export class DatabaseUI extends DisposableObject {
   private handleSetCurrentDatabase = async (uri: Uri): Promise<DatabaseItem | undefined> => {
     // Assume user has selected an archive if the file has a .zip extension
     if (uri.path.endsWith('.zip')) {
-      return await databaseArchiveFetcher(uri.toString(), this.databaseManager, this.storagePath);
+      return await importArchiveDatabase(uri.toString(), this.databaseManager, this.storagePath);
     }
 
     return await this.setCurrentDatabase(uri);
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ export class DatabaseUI extends DisposableObject {
     else {
       // we are selecting a database archive. Must unzip into a workspace-controlled area
       // before importing.
-      return await databaseArchiveFetcher(uri.toString(), this.databaseManager, this.storagePath);
+      return await importArchiveDatabase(uri.toString(), this.databaseManager, this.storagePath);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts
index a19ce6eb211..152b2a0ef8c 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { displayQuickQuery } from './quick-query';
 import { compileAndRunQueryAgainstDatabase, tmpDirDisposal, UserCancellationException } from './run-queries';
 import { QLTestAdapterFactory } from './test-adapter';
 import { TestUIService } from './test-ui';
-import promptFetchDatabase from './databaseFetcher';
+import { promptImportInternetDatabase } from './databaseFetcher';
 
 /**
  * extension.ts
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ async function activateWithInstalledDistribution(ctx: ExtensionContext, distribu
     await qs.restartQueryServer();
     helpers.showAndLogInformationMessage('CodeQL Query Server restarted.', { outputLogger: queryServerLogger });
   }));
-  ctx.subscriptions.push(commands.registerCommand('codeQL.downloadDatabase', () => promptFetchDatabase(dbm, getContextStoragePath(ctx))));
+  ctx.subscriptions.push(commands.registerCommand('codeQL.downloadDatabase', () => promptImportInternetDatabase(dbm, getContextStoragePath(ctx))));
 
   ctx.subscriptions.push(client.start());