diff --git a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_data_backup.erl b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_data_backup.erl
index f5eaaa7ab..47b590530 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_data_backup.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_data_backup.erl
@@ -660,13 +660,19 @@ backup_files(Dir) ->
 look_up_file(Filename) when is_binary(Filename) ->
     look_up_file(binary_to_list(Filename));
 look_up_file(Filename) ->
+    DefOnNotFound = fun(_Filename) -> {error, not_found} end,
+    do_look_up_file(Filename, DefOnNotFound).
+
+do_look_up_file(Filename, OnNotFound) when is_binary(Filename) ->
+    do_look_up_file(binary_to_list(Filename), OnNotFound);
+do_look_up_file(Filename, OnNotFound) ->
     Filter =
         fun(MaybeFile) ->
             filename:basename(MaybeFile) == Filename
         end,
     case lists:filter(Filter, backup_files()) of
         [] ->
-            {error, not_found};
+            OnNotFound(Filename);
         List ->
             {ok, hd(List)}
     end.
@@ -810,19 +816,26 @@ import(Filename, OverridesJson) ->
 
 -spec(check_import_json(binary() | string()) -> {ok, map()} | {error, term()}).
 check_import_json(Filename) ->
+    OnNotFound =
+        fun(F) ->
+                case filelib:is_file(F) of
+                    true -> {ok, F};
+                    false -> {error, not_found}
+                end
+        end,
     FunList = [
-        fun look_up_file/1,
+        fun(F) -> do_look_up_file(F, OnNotFound) end,
         fun(F) -> file:read_file(F) end,
         fun check_json/1
     ],
-    check_import_json(Filename, FunList).
+    do_check_import_json(Filename, FunList).
 
-check_import_json(Res, []) ->
+do_check_import_json(Res, []) ->
     {ok, Res};
-check_import_json(Acc, [Fun | FunList]) ->
+do_check_import_json(Acc, [Fun | FunList]) ->
     case Fun(Acc) of
         {ok, Next} ->
-            check_import_json(Next, FunList);
+            do_check_import_json(Next, FunList);
         {error, Reason} ->
             {error, Reason}
     end.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_management/test/emqx_mgmt_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_management/test/emqx_mgmt_SUITE.erl
index 45afbd860..48a771d7a 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_management/test/emqx_mgmt_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_management/test/emqx_mgmt_SUITE.erl
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ init_per_testcase(t_plugins_cmd, Config) ->
     meck:expect(emqx_plugins, reload, fun(_) -> ok end),
     mock_print(),
     Config;
+init_per_testcase(t_import_outside_backup_dir, Config) ->
+    RandomName = emqx_guid:to_hexstr(emqx_guid:gen()),
+    Filepath = "/tmp/" ++ binary_to_list(RandomName) ++ ".json",
+    FakeData = #{version => "4.4"},
+    ok = file:write_file(Filepath, emqx_json:encode(FakeData)),
+    [ {tmp_file, Filepath}
+    | Config];
 init_per_testcase(_Case, Config) ->
     mock_print(),
     Config.
@@ -79,6 +86,10 @@ init_per_testcase(_Case, Config) ->
 end_per_testcase(t_plugins_cmd, _Config) ->
     meck:unload(emqx_plugins),
     unmock_print();
+end_per_testcase(t_import_outside_backup_dir, Config) ->
+    Filepath = ?config(tmp_file, Config),
+    file:delete(Filepath),
+    ok;
 end_per_testcase(_Case, _Config) ->
     unmock_print().
 
@@ -384,6 +395,12 @@ t_backup_file(_)->
     {error, not_found} = emqx_mgmt_data_backup:delete_backup_file(BadFilename),
     ok.
 
+t_import_outside_backup_dir(Config) ->
+    Filepath = ?config(tmp_file, Config),
+    Env = "{}",
+    ?assertEqual(ok, emqx_mgmt_data_backup:import(Filepath, Env)),
+    ok.
+
 mock_print() ->
     ok = safe_unmeck(emqx_ctl),
     meck:new(emqx_ctl, [non_strict, passthrough]),