diff --git a/core/commands/dag/dag.go b/core/commands/dag/dag.go
index cdfa8ce9661f..c7a5f248261d 100644
--- a/core/commands/dag/dag.go
+++ b/core/commands/dag/dag.go
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ type ResolveOutput struct {
 
 // CarImportOutput is the output type of the 'dag import' commands
 type CarImportOutput struct {
-	Root RootMeta
+	BlockCount uint64
+	Root       *RootMeta
 }
 
 // RootMeta is the metadata for a root pinning response
@@ -157,8 +158,9 @@ var DagResolveCmd = &cmds.Command{
 }
 
 type importResult struct {
-	roots map[cid.Cid]struct{}
-	err   error
+	blockCount uint64
+	roots      map[cid.Cid]struct{}
+	err        error
 }
 
 // DagImportCmd is a command for importing a car to ipfs
@@ -203,6 +205,11 @@ Maximum supported CAR version: 1
 				return nil
 			}
 
+			if event.Root == nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(w, "Imported %d blocks\n", event.BlockCount)
+				return nil
+			}
+
 			enc, err := cmdenv.GetLowLevelCidEncoder(req)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/core/commands/dag/import.go b/core/commands/dag/import.go
index b83af8b911de..72723d446c50 100644
--- a/core/commands/dag/import.go
+++ b/core/commands/dag/import.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ func dagImport(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment
 		return done.err
 	}
 
+	res.Emit(&CarImportOutput{BlockCount: done.blockCount})
+
 	// It is not guaranteed that a root in a header is actually present in the same ( or any )
 	// .car file. This is the case in version 1, and ideally in further versions too
 	// Accumulate any root CID seen in a header, and supplement its actual node if/when encountered
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@ func dagImport(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment
 				failedPins++
 			}
 
-			if err := res.Emit(&CarImportOutput{Root: ret}); err != nil {
+			if err := res.Emit(&CarImportOutput{Root: &ret}); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
@@ -126,6 +128,7 @@ func importWorker(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, api iface.CoreAPI,
 	batch := ipld.NewBatch(req.Context, api.Dag())
 
 	roots := make(map[cid.Cid]struct{})
+	var blockCount uint64
 
 	it := req.Files.Entries()
 	for it.Next() {
@@ -176,6 +179,7 @@ func importWorker(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, api iface.CoreAPI,
 				if err := batch.Add(req.Context, nd); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
+				blockCount++
 			}
 
 			return nil
@@ -197,5 +201,5 @@ func importWorker(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, api iface.CoreAPI,
 		return
 	}
 
-	ret <- importResult{roots: roots}
+	ret <- importResult{blockCount: blockCount, roots: roots}
 }
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0054-dag-car-import-export.sh b/test/sharness/t0054-dag-car-import-export.sh
index 450591ff7923..e7f8a32d4f77 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0054-dag-car-import-export.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0054-dag-car-import-export.sh
@@ -56,14 +56,16 @@ run_online_imp_exp_tests() {
   reset_blockstore 1
 
   cat > basic_import_expected <<EOE
+Imported 1198 blocks
 Pinned root${tab}bafkqaaa${tab}success
 Pinned root${tab}bafy2bzaceaxm23epjsmh75yvzcecsrbavlmkcxnva66bkdebdcnyw3bjrc74u${tab}success
 Pinned root${tab}bafy2bzaced4ueelaegfs5fqu4tzsh6ywbbpfk3cxppupmxfdhbpbhzawfw5oy${tab}success
 EOE
 
   cat >naked_root_import_json_expected <<EOE
-{"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzaceaxm23epjsmh75yvzcecsrbavlmkcxnva66bkdebdcnyw3bjrc74u"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
-{"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzaced4ueelaegfs5fqu4tzsh6ywbbpfk3cxppupmxfdhbpbhzawfw5oy"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
+{"BlockCount":0,"Root":null}
+{"BlockCount":0,"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzaceaxm23epjsmh75yvzcecsrbavlmkcxnva66bkdebdcnyw3bjrc74u"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
+{"BlockCount":0,"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzaced4ueelaegfs5fqu4tzsh6ywbbpfk3cxppupmxfdhbpbhzawfw5oy"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
 EOE
 
 
@@ -170,9 +172,10 @@ test_expect_success "correct error" '
 
 
 cat >multiroot_import_json_expected <<EOE
-{"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzaceb55n7uxyfaelplulk3ev2xz7gnq6crncf3ahnvu46hqqmpucizcw"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
-{"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzacebedrc4n2ac6cqdkhs7lmj5e4xiif3gu7nmoborihajxn3fav3vdq"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
-{"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzacede2hsme6hparlbr4g2x6pylj43olp4uihwjq3plqdjyrdhrv7cp4"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
+{"BlockCount":2825,"Root":null}
+{"BlockCount":0,"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzaceb55n7uxyfaelplulk3ev2xz7gnq6crncf3ahnvu46hqqmpucizcw"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
+{"BlockCount":0,"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzacebedrc4n2ac6cqdkhs7lmj5e4xiif3gu7nmoborihajxn3fav3vdq"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
+{"BlockCount":0,"Root":{"Cid":{"/":"bafy2bzacede2hsme6hparlbr4g2x6pylj43olp4uihwjq3plqdjyrdhrv7cp4"},"PinErrorMsg":""}}
 EOE
 test_expect_success "multiroot import works" '
   ipfs dag import --enc=json ../t0054-dag-car-import-export-data/lotus_testnet_export_256_multiroot.car > multiroot_import_json_actual
@@ -182,14 +185,17 @@ test_expect_success "multiroot import expected output" '
 '
 
 
+cat >pin_import_expected << EOE
+{"BlockCount":1198,"Root":null}
+EOE
 test_expect_success "pin-less import works" '
   ipfs dag import --enc=json --pin-roots=false \
   ../t0054-dag-car-import-export-data/lotus_devnet_genesis.car \
   ../t0054-dag-car-import-export-data/lotus_testnet_export_128.car \
     > no-pin_import_actual
 '
-test_expect_success "expected silence on --pin-roots=false" '
-  test_cmp /dev/null no-pin_import_actual
+test_expect_success "expected no pins on --pin-roots=false" '
+  test_cmp pin_import_expected no-pin_import_actual
 '