diff --git a/apps/client/src/flogo/home/core/import-error-formatter.service.ts b/apps/client/src/flogo/home/core/import-error-formatter.service.ts
index 54bd053cf..4317ed457 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/flogo/home/core/import-error-formatter.service.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/flogo/home/core/import-error-formatter.service.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ export class ImportErrorFormatterService {
       case 'improper-import':
         messageHeader = this._translate.instant('IMPORT-ERROR:IMPROPER_IMPORT');
         break;
+      case 'contrib-not-installed':
+        messageHeader = this._translate.instant('IMPORT-ERROR:CONTRIB_NOT_INSTALLED');
+        break;
       default:
         messageHeader = this._translate.instant('APP-LIST:BROKEN_RULE_UNKNOWN');
         break;
@@ -124,6 +127,11 @@ export class ImportErrorFormatterService {
           ref: detail.params.ref,
         });
         break;
+      case 'contrib-not-installed':
+        errorMessage = this._translate.instant('IMPORT-ERROR:CONTRIB_NOT_INSTALLED_CONTENT', {
+          ref: detail.params.ref,
+        });
+        break;
       default:
         errorMessage = this._translate.instant('APP-LIST:BROKEN_RULE_UNKNOWN');
         break;
diff --git a/apps/client/src/i18n/en.json b/apps/client/src/i18n/en.json
index f0318ee30..78bb1bb80 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/apps/client/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
   "IMPORT-ERROR:PROPERTY_REQUIRED": "Property required",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:ACTIVITY_MISSING": "Activity missing",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:TRIGGER_MISSING": "Trigger missing",
+  "IMPORT-ERROR:CONTRIB_NOT_INSTALLED": "Contribution missing",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:ACTIVITY_MISSING_IN_IMPORT": "Activity missing in imports",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:TRIGGER_MISSING_IN_IMPORT": "Trigger missing in imports",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:UNKNOWN_APP_TYPE": "Unknown app type/model",
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@
   "IMPORT-ERROR:ONE_AMONG_CONTENT": "should equal one of the allowed values: {{allowedValues}}",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:ACTIVITY_MISSING_CONTENT": "{{ref}} - You will need to install this activity before you can use it in an app.",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:TRIGGER_MISSING_CONTENT": "{{ref}} - You will need to install this trigger before you can use it in an app.",
+  "IMPORT-ERROR:CONTRIB_NOT_INSTALLED_CONTENT": "{{ref}} - You will need to install this contribution before you can use it in an app",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:ACTIVITY_MISSING_IN_IMPORT_CONTENT": "{{dataPath}} - {{ref}} activity is missing in the imports",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:TRIGGER_MISSING_IN_IMPORT_CONTENT": "{{dataPath}} - {{ref}} trigger is missing in the imports",
   "IMPORT-ERROR:UNSUPPORTED_RESOURCE_TYPE": "Unsupported resource type",
diff --git a/apps/server/src/modules/transfer/import/import-app.ts b/apps/server/src/modules/transfer/import/import-app.ts
index 4dd24ba31..a439c25b5 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/modules/transfer/import/import-app.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/modules/transfer/import/import-app.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export function importApp(
 ): App {
   const now = new Date().toISOString();
   if (rawApp.imports) {
-    validateImports(rawApp.imports);
+    validateImports(rawApp.imports, contributions);
   }
   const importsRefAgent = createFromImports(rawApp.imports, contributions);
   const newApp = cleanAndValidateApp(
@@ -94,10 +94,11 @@ export function importApp(
   return newApp;
 }
 
-function validateImports(imports) {
+function validateImports(imports, contributions) {
   const improperImports = imports.filter(
     eachImport => !IMPORT_SYNTAX.exec(eachImport.trim())
   );
+
   const importsErrors = improperImports.map(importsError => ({
     keyword: 'improper-import',
     dataPath: '.imports',
@@ -106,8 +107,28 @@ function validateImports(imports) {
       ref: importsError,
     },
   }));
-  if (importsErrors.length) {
-    throw new ValidationError('Validation error in imports', importsErrors);
+
+  const contribsNotInstalled = imports.filter(
+    eachImport => {
+      const validateImport = IMPORT_SYNTAX.exec(eachImport.trim());
+      if(validateImport) {
+        return !contributions.has(validateImport[2]);
+      }
+    });
+
+  const contribsNotInstalledErrors = contribsNotInstalled.map(
+    contribRef => ({
+      keyword: "contrib-not-installed",
+      message: `contribution "${contribRef}" is not installed`,
+      params: {
+        ref: contribRef,
+      },
+    }));
+
+  const allErrors = [...importsErrors, ...contribsNotInstalledErrors];
+
+  if (allErrors.length) {
+    throw new ValidationError('Validation error in imports', allErrors);
   }
 }