diff --git a/app/Controller/EventsController.php b/app/Controller/EventsController.php
index 94fb44dd2..4069d4c34 100644
--- a/app/Controller/EventsController.php
+++ b/app/Controller/EventsController.php
@@ -2045,11 +2045,19 @@ class EventsController extends AppController
                     throw new MethodNotAllowedException(__('File upload failed or file does not have the expected extension (.xml / .json).'));
                 }
                 if (isset($this->data['Event']['submittedfile'])) {
-                    if (Configure::read('MISP.take_ownership_xml_import')
-                        && (isset($this->data['Event']['takeownership']) && $this->data['Event']['takeownership'] == 1)) {
-                        $results = $this->_addMISPExportFile($ext, true, $this->data['Event']['publish']);
-                    } else {
-                        $results = $this->_addMISPExportFile($ext, false, $this->data['Event']['publish']);
+                    $isXml = strtolower($ext) === 'xml';
+                    App::uses('FileAccessTool', 'Tools');
+                    $data = (new FileAccessTool())->readFromFile($this->data['Event']['submittedfile']['tmp_name'], $this->data['Event']['submittedfile']['size']);
+                    $takeOwnership = Configure::read('MISP.take_ownership_xml_import')
+                        && (isset($this->data['Event']['takeownership']) && $this->data['Event']['takeownership'] == 1);
+
+                    try {
+                        $results = $this->Event->addMISPExportFile($this->Auth->user(), $data, $isXml, $takeOwnership, $this->data['Event']['publish']);
+                    } catch (Exception $e) {
+                        $filename = $this->data['Event']['submittedfile']['name'];
+                        $this->log("Exception during processing MISP file import '$filename': {$e->getMessage()}");
+                        $this->Flash->error(__('Could not process MISP export file. Probably file content is invalid.'));
+                        $this->redirect(['controller' => 'events', 'action' => 'add_misp_export']);
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -3120,66 +3128,6 @@ class EventsController extends AppController
         }
     }
 
-    private function _addMISPExportFile($ext, $take_ownership = false, $publish = false)
-    {
-        App::uses('FileAccessTool', 'Tools');
-        $data = (new FileAccessTool())->readFromFile($this->data['Event']['submittedfile']['tmp_name'], $this->data['Event']['submittedfile']['size']);
-
-        if ($ext == 'xml') {
-            App::uses('Xml', 'Utility');
-            $dataArray = Xml::toArray(Xml::build($data));
-        } else {
-            $dataArray = json_decode($data, true);
-            if (isset($dataArray['response'][0])) {
-                foreach ($dataArray['response'] as $k => $temp) {
-                    $dataArray['Event'][] = $temp['Event'];
-                    unset($dataArray['response'][$k]);
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        // In case we receive an event that is not encapsulated in a response. This should never happen (unless it's a copy+paste fail),
-        // but just in case, let's clean it up anyway.
-        if (isset($dataArray['Event'])) {
-            $dataArray['response']['Event'] = $dataArray['Event'];
-            unset($dataArray['Event']);
-        }
-        if (!isset($dataArray['response']) || !isset($dataArray['response']['Event'])) {
-            throw new Exception(__('This is not a valid MISP XML file.'));
-        }
-        $dataArray = $this->Event->updateXMLArray($dataArray);
-        $results = array();
-        $validationIssues = array();
-        if (isset($dataArray['response']['Event'][0])) {
-            foreach ($dataArray['response']['Event'] as $k => $event) {
-                $result = array('info' => $event['info']);
-                if ($take_ownership) {
-                    $event['orgc_id'] = $this->Auth->user('org_id');
-                    unset($event['Orgc']);
-                }
-                $event = array('Event' => $event);
-                $created_id = 0;
-                $event['Event']['locked'] = 1;
-                $event['Event']['published'] = $publish;
-                $result['result'] = $this->Event->_add($event, true, $this->Auth->user(), '', null, false, null, $created_id, $validationIssues);
-                $result['id'] = $created_id;
-                $result['validationIssues'] = $validationIssues;
-                $results[] = $result;
-            }
-        } else {
-            $temp['Event'] = $dataArray['response']['Event'];
-            if ($take_ownership) {
-                $temp['Event']['orgc_id'] = $this->Auth->user('org_id');
-                unset($temp['Event']['Orgc']);
-            }
-            $created_id = 0;
-            $temp['Event']['locked'] = 1;
-            $temp['Event']['published'] = $publish;
-            $result = $this->Event->_add($temp, true, $this->Auth->user(), '', null, false, null, $created_id, $validationIssues);
-            $results = array(0 => array('info' => $temp['Event']['info'], 'result' => $result, 'id' => $created_id, 'validationIssues' => $validationIssues));
-        }
-        return $results;
-    }
-
     public function downloadOpenIOCEvent($key, $eventid, $enforceWarninglist = false)
     {
         // return a downloadable text file called misp.openIOC.<eventId>.ioc for individual events
diff --git a/app/Model/Event.php b/app/Model/Event.php
index f29ac689b..cc6332e79 100755
--- a/app/Model/Event.php
+++ b/app/Model/Event.php
@@ -3522,6 +3522,82 @@ class Event extends AppModel
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param array $user
+     * @param string $data
+     * @param bool $isXml
+     * @param bool $takeOwnership
+     * @param bool $publish
+     * @return array[]
+     * @throws Exception
+     */
+    public function addMISPExportFile(array $user, $data, $isXml = false, $takeOwnership = false, $publish = false)
+    {
+        if (empty($data)) {
+            throw new Exception("File is empty");
+        }
+
+        if ($isXml) {
+            App::uses('Xml', 'Utility');
+            $dataArray = Xml::toArray(Xml::build($data));
+        } else {
+            $dataArray = $this->jsonDecode($data);
+            if (isset($dataArray['response'][0])) {
+                foreach ($dataArray['response'] as $k => $temp) {
+                    $dataArray['Event'][] = $temp['Event'];
+                    unset($dataArray['response'][$k]);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // In case we receive an event that is not encapsulated in a response. This should never happen (unless it's a copy+paste fail),
+        // but just in case, let's clean it up anyway.
+        if (isset($dataArray['Event'])) {
+            $dataArray['response']['Event'] = $dataArray['Event'];
+            unset($dataArray['Event']);
+        }
+        if (!isset($dataArray['response']) || !isset($dataArray['response']['Event'])) {
+            $exception = $isXml ? __('This is not a valid MISP XML file.') : __('This is not a valid MISP JSON file.');
+            throw new Exception($exception);
+        }
+        $dataArray = $this->updateXMLArray($dataArray);
+        $results = array();
+        $validationIssues = array();
+        if (isset($dataArray['response']['Event'][0])) {
+            foreach ($dataArray['response']['Event'] as $event) {
+                $result = array('info' => $event['info']);
+                if ($takeOwnership) {
+                    $event['orgc_id'] = $user['org_id'];
+                    unset($event['Orgc']);
+                }
+                $event = array('Event' => $event);
+                $created_id = 0;
+                $event['Event']['locked'] = 1;
+                $event['Event']['published'] = $publish;
+                $result['result'] = $this->_add($event, true, $user, '', null, false, null, $created_id, $validationIssues);
+                $result['id'] = $created_id;
+                $result['validationIssues'] = $validationIssues;
+                $results[] = $result;
+            }
+        } else {
+            $temp['Event'] = $dataArray['response']['Event'];
+            if ($takeOwnership) {
+                $temp['Event']['orgc_id'] = $user['org_id'];
+                unset($temp['Event']['Orgc']);
+            }
+            $created_id = 0;
+            $temp['Event']['locked'] = 1;
+            $temp['Event']['published'] = $publish;
+            $result = $this->_add($temp, true, $user, '', null, false, null, $created_id, $validationIssues);
+            $results = array(array(
+                'info' => $temp['Event']['info'],
+                'result' => $result,
+                'id' => $created_id,
+                'validationIssues' => $validationIssues,
+            ));
+        }
+        return $results;
+    }
+
     // Low level function to add an Event based on an Event $data array
     public function _add(array &$data, $fromXml, array $user, $org_id = 0, $passAlong = null, $fromPull = false, $jobId = null, &$created_id = 0, &$validationErrors = array())
     {
@@ -3530,16 +3606,19 @@ class Event extends AppModel
         }
         if (Configure::read('MISP.enableEventBlocklisting') !== false && isset($data['Event']['uuid'])) {
             $this->EventBlocklist = ClassRegistry::init('EventBlocklist');
-            $r = $this->EventBlocklist->find('first', array('conditions' => array('event_uuid' => $data['Event']['uuid'])));
-            if (!empty($r)) {
+            if ($this->EventBlocklist->isBlocked($data['Event']['uuid'])) {
                 return 'Blocked by blocklist';
             }
         }
         if (!$this->checkEventBlockRules($data)) {
             return 'Blocked by event block rules';
         }
+
+        if (!isset($this->Log)) {
+            $this->Log = ClassRegistry::init('Log'); // initialize Log class if not
+        }
+
         if (empty($data['Event']['Attribute']) && empty($data['Event']['Object']) && !empty($data['Event']['published'])) {
-            $this->Log = ClassRegistry::init('Log');
             $this->Log->create();
             $validationErrors['Event'] = 'Received a published event that was empty. Event add process blocked.';
             $this->Log->save(array(
@@ -3654,7 +3733,6 @@ class Event extends AppModel
             }
         }
         if (!empty($failedCapture)) {
-            $this->Log = ClassRegistry::init('Log');
             $this->Log->create();
             $this->Log->save(array(
                     'org' => $user['Organisation']['name'],
@@ -3705,7 +3783,6 @@ class Event extends AppModel
             'ObjectRelation' => array()
         );
         $saveResult = $this->save(array('Event' => $data['Event']), array('fieldList' => $fieldList['Event']));
-        $this->Log = ClassRegistry::init('Log');
         if ($saveResult) {
             if ($passAlong) {
                 if ($server['Server']['publish_without_email'] == 0) {
@@ -3823,8 +3900,7 @@ class Event extends AppModel
                             if (empty($found)) {
                                 $this->EventTag->create();
                                 if ($this->EventTag->save(array('event_id' => $this->id, 'tag_id' => $tag_id))) {
-                                    $log = ClassRegistry::init('Log');
-                                    $log->createLogEntry($user, 'tag', 'Event', $this->id, 'Attached tag (' . $tag_id . ') "' . $tag['Tag']['name'] . '" to event (' . $this->id . ')', 'Event (' . $this->id . ') tagged as Tag (' . $tag_id . ')');
+                                    $this->Log->createLogEntry($user, 'tag', 'Event', $this->id, 'Attached tag (' . $tag_id . ') "' . $tag['Tag']['name'] . '" to event (' . $this->id . ')', 'Event (' . $this->id . ') tagged as Tag (' . $tag_id . ')');
                                 }
                             }
                         }
diff --git a/app/Model/EventBlocklist.php b/app/Model/EventBlocklist.php
index 401eb0fdc..15f33da3e 100644
--- a/app/Model/EventBlocklist.php
+++ b/app/Model/EventBlocklist.php
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');
+
 class EventBlocklist extends AppModel
 {
     public $useTable = 'event_blocklists';
@@ -38,13 +39,25 @@ class EventBlocklist extends AppModel
         if (!isset($schema['event_info'])) {
             $this->updateDatabase('addEventBlocklistsContext');
         }
-        $date = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
         if (empty($this->data['EventBlocklist']['id'])) {
-            $this->data['EventBlocklist']['date_created'] = $date;
+            $this->data['EventBlocklist']['date_created'] = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
         }
         if (empty($this->data['EventBlocklist']['comment'])) {
             $this->data['EventBlocklist']['comment'] = '';
         }
         return true;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $eventUuid
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function isBlocked($eventUuid)
+    {
+        $result = $this->find('first', [
+            'conditions' => ['event_uuid' => $eventUuid],
+            'fields' => ['id']
+        ]);
+        return !empty($result);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Model/Server.php b/app/Model/Server.php
index 66a0a7f69..8ca65efc1 100644
--- a/app/Model/Server.php
+++ b/app/Model/Server.php
@@ -2464,8 +2464,7 @@ class Server extends AppModel
     {
         if (Configure::read('MISP.enableEventBlocklisting') !== false) {
             $this->EventBlocklist = ClassRegistry::init('EventBlocklist');
-            $r = $this->EventBlocklist->find('first', array('conditions' => array('event_uuid' => $event['Event']['uuid'])));
-            if (!empty($r)) {
+            if ($this->EventBlocklist->isBlocked($event['Event']['uuid'])) {
                 return true;
             }
         }