diff --git a/apiserver/apiserver/api/models.py b/apiserver/apiserver/api/models.py
index 2f6457b..e21269e 100644
--- a/apiserver/apiserver/api/models.py
+++ b/apiserver/apiserver/api/models.py
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ from django.db import models
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.utils.timezone import now
 
-from . import old_models
-
 IGNORE = '+'
 
 class Member(models.Model):
diff --git a/apiserver/apiserver/api/serializers.py b/apiserver/apiserver/api/serializers.py
index 53b2a89..3a6a7a8 100644
--- a/apiserver/apiserver/api/serializers.py
+++ b/apiserver/apiserver/api/serializers.py
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@ from rest_framework.validators import UniqueValidator
 from rest_auth.registration.serializers import RegisterSerializer
 from rest_auth.serializers import UserDetailsSerializer
 
-from . import models, old_models, fields, utils
+from . import models, fields, utils
 from .. import settings
 
-
 class TransactionSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     # fields directly from old portal. replace with slugs we want
     account_type = serializers.ChoiceField([
diff --git a/apiserver/apiserver/api/utils.py b/apiserver/apiserver/api/utils.py
index d500ffd..7e20cb1 100644
--- a/apiserver/apiserver/api/utils.py
+++ b/apiserver/apiserver/api/utils.py
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ from bleach.sanitizer import Cleaner
 
 from django.db.models import Sum
 
-from . import models, old_models
+from . import models
+try:
+    import old_models
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    old_models = None
 
 def num_months_spanned(d1, d2):
     '''
@@ -192,7 +196,14 @@ def link_old_member(data, user):
     If a member claims they have an account on the old protospace portal,
     go through and link their objects to their new user using the member_id
     found with their email as a hint
+
+    Since this runs AFTER registration, we need to delete the user on any
+    failures or else the username will be taken when they try again
     '''
+    if not old_models:
+        user.delete()
+        raise ValidationError(dict(email='Unable to link, old DB wasn\'t imported.'))
+
     old_members = old_models.Members.objects.using('old_portal')
 
     try:
@@ -204,6 +215,7 @@ def link_old_member(data, user):
     member = models.Member.objects.get(id=old_member.id)
 
     if member.user:
+        user.delete()
         raise ValidationError(dict(email='Old member already claimed.'))
 
     member.user = user
diff --git a/apiserver/import_old_portal.py b/apiserver/import_old_portal.py
index f5187cc..0fcd3b9 100755
--- a/apiserver/import_old_portal.py
+++ b/apiserver/import_old_portal.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ django.setup()
 
 import datetime
 from apiserver.api import models, old_models, utils
-from apiserver.api.serializers import process_image
 
 MEMBER_FIELDS = [
     'id',
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ for o in old:
     if str(o.id) in photo_folders:
         folder = 'old_photos/' + str(o.id)
         if 'photo.jpg' in os.listdir(folder):
-            small, medium, large = process_image(folder + '/photo.jpg')
+            small, medium, large = utils.process_image(folder + '/photo.jpg')
             print('Found a photo')
 
     models.Member.objects.create(photo_small=small, photo_medium=medium, photo_large=large, **new)