diff --git a/editor/svg-editor.js b/editor/svg-editor.js
index c3274b97..edf1ceac 100644
--- a/editor/svg-editor.js
+++ b/editor/svg-editor.js
@@ -4906,12 +4906,14 @@ TODOS
 						if (file.type.indexOf('svg') != -1) {
 							reader = new FileReader();
 							reader.onloadend = function(e) {
-								svgCanvas.importSvgString(e.target.result, true);
+								var newElement = svgCanvas.importSvgString(e.target.result, true);
 								svgCanvas.ungroupSelectedElement();
 								svgCanvas.ungroupSelectedElement();
 								svgCanvas.groupSelectedElements();
 								svgCanvas.alignSelectedElements('m', 'page');
 								svgCanvas.alignSelectedElements('c', 'page');
+								// highlight imported element, otherwise we get strange empty selectbox
+								svgCanvas.selectOnly([newElement]);
 								$('#dialog_box').hide();
 							};
 							reader.readAsText(file);
diff --git a/editor/svgcanvas.js b/editor/svgcanvas.js
index 0bb58bc1..3f2cf464 100644
--- a/editor/svgcanvas.js
+++ b/editor/svgcanvas.js
@@ -4946,7 +4946,7 @@ this.setSvgString = function(xmlString) {
 // xmlString - The SVG as XML text.
 //
 // Returns:
-// This function returns false if the import was unsuccessful, true otherwise.
+// This function returns null if the import was unsuccessful, or the element otherwise.
 // TODO: 
 // * properly handle if namespace is introduced by imported content (must add to svgcontent
 // and update all prefixes in the imported node)
@@ -5067,10 +5067,11 @@ this.importSvgString = function(xmlString) {
 
 	} catch(e) {
 		console.log(e);
-		return false;
+		return null;
 	}
 
-	return true;
+	// we want to return the element so we can automatically select it
+	return use_el;
 };
 
 // TODO(codedread): Move all layer/context functions in draw.js