diff --git a/src/app/common/modals/modals.tsx b/src/app/common/modals/modals.tsx
index 7d995d73..f70e0a61 100644
--- a/src/app/common/modals/modals.tsx
+++ b/src/app/common/modals/modals.tsx
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ class ViewRemoteConnDetailModal extends React.Component<{}, {}> {
                 <Button theme="secondary" disabled={true}>
                     Edit
                     <Tooltip
-                        message={`Remotes imported from an ssh config file cannot be edited inside waveterm. To edit these, you must edit the config file and import it again.`}
+                        message={`Connections imported from an ssh config file cannot be edited inside waveterm. To edit these, you must edit the config file and import it again.`}
                         icon={<i className="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-fw fa-ban" />}
                     >
                         <i className="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-fw fa-ban" />
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ class ViewRemoteConnDetailModal extends React.Component<{}, {}> {
                     <Tooltip
                         message={
                             <span>
-                                Remotes imported from an ssh config file can be deleted, but will come back upon
+                                Connections imported from an ssh config file can be deleted, but will come back upon
                                 importing again. They will stay removed if you follow{" "}
                                 <a href="https://docs.waveterm.dev/features/sshconfig-imports">this procedure</a>.
                             </span>
diff --git a/src/model/model.ts b/src/model/model.ts
index 8a8cb7fa..9ba1051d 100644
--- a/src/model/model.ts
+++ b/src/model/model.ts
@@ -3811,6 +3811,10 @@ class Model {
                 this.remotesModel.openEditModal({ ...rview.remoteedit });
             }
         }
+        if (interactive && "alertmessage" in update) {
+            let alertMessage: AlertMessageType = update.alertmessage;
+            this.showAlert(alertMessage);
+        }
         if ("cmdline" in update) {
             this.inputModel.updateCmdLine(update.cmdline);
         }
@@ -4482,7 +4486,7 @@ class CommandRunner {
     }
 
     importSshConfig() {
-        GlobalModel.submitCommand("remote", "parse", null, null, false);
+        GlobalModel.submitCommand("remote", "parse", null, { nohist: "1", visual: "1" }, true);
     }
 
     screenSelectLine(lineArg: string, focusVal?: string) {
diff --git a/src/types/types.ts b/src/types/types.ts
index 3fc3cb96..758392ff 100644
--- a/src/types/types.ts
+++ b/src/types/types.ts
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ type ModelUpdateType = {
     clientdata?: ClientDataType;
     historyviewdata?: HistoryViewDataType;
     remoteview?: RemoteViewType;
+    alertmessage?: AlertMessageType;
 };
 
 type HistoryViewDataType = {
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go b/wavesrv/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
index 7ce5f543..8562ae17 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
@@ -1255,6 +1255,10 @@ func parseRemoteEditArgs(isNew bool, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType, isLocal b
 		if portVal == 0 && uhPort != 0 {
 			portVal = uhPort
 		}
+		if portVal < 0 || portVal > 65535 {
+			// 0 is used as a sentinel value for the default in this case
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid port argument, \"%d\" is not in the range of 1 to 65535", portVal)
+		}
 		sshOpts.SSHPort = portVal
 		canonicalName = remoteUser + "@" + remoteHost
 		if portVal != 0 && portVal != 22 {
@@ -1514,6 +1518,47 @@ type HostInfoType struct {
 	Ignore        bool
 }
 
+func createSshImportSummary(changeList map[string][]string) string {
+	totalNumChanges := len(changeList["create"]) + len(changeList["delete"]) + len(changeList["update"]) + len(changeList["createErr"]) + len(changeList["deleteErr"]) + len(changeList["updateErr"])
+	if totalNumChanges == 0 {
+		return "No changes made from ssh config import"
+	}
+	remoteStatusMsgs := map[string]string{
+		"delete":    "Deleted %d connection%s: %s",
+		"create":    "Created %d connection%s: %s",
+		"update":    "Edited %d connection%s: %s",
+		"deleteErr": "Error deleting %d connection%s: %s",
+		"createErr": "Error creating %d connection%s: %s",
+		"updateErr": "Error editing %d connection%s: %s",
+	}
+
+	changeTypeKeys := []string{"delete", "create", "update", "deleteErr", "createErr", "updateErr"}
+
+	var outMsgs []string
+	for _, changeTypeKey := range changeTypeKeys {
+		changes := changeList[changeTypeKey]
+		if len(changes) > 0 {
+			rawStatusMsg := remoteStatusMsgs[changeTypeKey]
+			var pluralize string
+			if len(changes) == 1 {
+				pluralize = ""
+			} else {
+				pluralize = "s"
+			}
+			newMsg := fmt.Sprintf(rawStatusMsg, len(changes), pluralize, strings.Join(changes, ", "))
+			outMsgs = append(outMsgs, newMsg)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var pluralize string
+	if totalNumChanges == 1 {
+		pluralize = ""
+	} else {
+		pluralize = "s"
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%d connection%s changed:\n\n%s", totalNumChanges, pluralize, strings.Join(outMsgs, "\n\n"))
+}
+
 func NewHostInfo(hostName string) (*HostInfoType, error) {
 	userName, _ := ssh_config.GetStrict(hostName, "User")
 	if userName == "" {
@@ -1539,7 +1584,7 @@ func NewHostInfo(hostName string) (*HostInfoType, error) {
 			// do not make assumptions about port if incorrectly configured
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not parse \"%s\" (%s) - %s could not be converted to a valid port\n", hostName, canonicalName, portStr)
 		}
-		if int(int16(portVal)) != portVal {
+		if portVal <= 0 || portVal > 65535 {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not parse port \"%d\": number is not valid for a port\n", portVal)
 		}
 	}
@@ -1603,6 +1648,8 @@ func RemoteConfigParseCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketT
 		hostInfoInConfig[hostInfo.CanonicalName] = hostInfo
 	}
 
+	remoteChangeList := make(map[string][]string)
+
 	// remove all previously imported remotes that
 	// no longer have a canonical pattern in the config files
 	for importedRemoteCanonicalName, importedRemote := range previouslyImportedRemotes {
@@ -1611,17 +1658,17 @@ func RemoteConfigParseCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketT
 		if !importedRemote.Archived && (hostInfo == nil || hostInfo.Ignore) {
 			err = remote.ArchiveRemote(ctx, importedRemote.RemoteId)
 			if err != nil {
+				remoteChangeList["deleteErr"] = append(remoteChangeList["deleteErr"], importedRemote.RemoteCanonicalName)
 				log.Printf("sshconfig-import: failed to remove remote \"%s\" (%s)\n", importedRemote.RemoteAlias, importedRemote.RemoteCanonicalName)
 			} else {
+				remoteChangeList["delete"] = append(remoteChangeList["delete"], importedRemote.RemoteCanonicalName)
 				log.Printf("sshconfig-import: archived remote \"%s\" (%s)\n", importedRemote.RemoteAlias, importedRemote.RemoteCanonicalName)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	var updatedRemotes []string
 	for _, hostInfo := range parsedHostData {
 		previouslyImportedRemote := previouslyImportedRemotes[hostInfo.CanonicalName]
-		updatedRemotes = append(updatedRemotes, hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 		if hostInfo.Ignore {
 			log.Printf("sshconfig-import: ignore remote[%s] as specified in config file\n", hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 			continue
@@ -1637,15 +1684,23 @@ func RemoteConfigParseCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketT
 			}
 			msh := remote.GetRemoteById(previouslyImportedRemote.RemoteId)
 			if msh == nil {
+				remoteChangeList["updateErr"] = append(remoteChangeList["updateErr"], hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 				log.Printf("strange, msh for remote %s [%s] not found\n", hostInfo.CanonicalName, previouslyImportedRemote.RemoteId)
 				continue
-			} else {
-				err := msh.UpdateRemote(ctx, editMap)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Printf("error updating remote[%s]: %v\n", hostInfo.CanonicalName, err)
-					continue
-				}
 			}
+
+			if msh.Remote.ConnectMode == hostInfo.ConnectMode && msh.Remote.SSHOpts.SSHIdentity == hostInfo.SshKeyFile && msh.Remote.RemoteAlias == hostInfo.Host {
+				// silently skip this one. it didn't fail, but no changes were needed
+				continue
+			}
+
+			err := msh.UpdateRemote(ctx, editMap)
+			if err != nil {
+				remoteChangeList["updateErr"] = append(remoteChangeList["updateErr"], hostInfo.CanonicalName)
+				log.Printf("error updating remote[%s]: %v\n", hostInfo.CanonicalName, err)
+				continue
+			}
+			remoteChangeList["update"] = append(remoteChangeList["update"], hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 			log.Printf("sshconfig-import: found previously imported remote with canonical name \"%s\": it has been updated\n", hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 		} else {
 			sshOpts := &sstore.SSHOpts{
@@ -1674,21 +1729,31 @@ func RemoteConfigParseCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketT
 			}
 			err := remote.AddRemote(ctx, r, false)
 			if err != nil {
+				remoteChangeList["createErr"] = append(remoteChangeList["createErr"], hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 				log.Printf("sshconfig-import: failed to add remote \"%s\" (%s): it is being skipped\n", hostInfo.Host, hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 				continue
 			}
+			remoteChangeList["create"] = append(remoteChangeList["create"], hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 			log.Printf("sshconfig-import: created remote \"%s\" (%s)\n", hostInfo.Host, hostInfo.CanonicalName)
 		}
 	}
 
-	update := &sstore.ModelUpdate{Remotes: remote.GetAllRemoteRuntimeState()}
-	update.Info = &sstore.InfoMsgType{}
-	if len(updatedRemotes) == 0 {
-		update.Info.InfoMsg = "no connections imported from ssh config."
+	outMsg := createSshImportSummary(remoteChangeList)
+	visualEdit := resolveBool(pk.Kwargs["visual"], false)
+	if visualEdit {
+		update := &sstore.ModelUpdate{}
+		update.AlertMessage = &sstore.AlertMessageType{
+			Title:    "SSH Config Import",
+			Message:  outMsg,
+			Markdown: true,
+		}
+		return update, nil
 	} else {
-		update.Info.InfoMsg = fmt.Sprintf("imported %d connection(s) from ssh config file: %s\n", len(updatedRemotes), strings.Join(updatedRemotes, ", "))
+		update := &sstore.ModelUpdate{}
+		update.Info = &sstore.InfoMsgType{}
+		update.Info.InfoMsg = outMsg
+		return update, nil
 	}
-	return update, nil
 }
 
 func ScreenShowAllCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType) (sstore.UpdatePacket, error) {
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/updatebus.go b/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/updatebus.go
index ee87e009..a3715d93 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/updatebus.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/updatebus.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type ModelUpdate struct {
 	RemoteView        *RemoteViewType         `json:"remoteview,omitempty"`
 	ScreenTombstones  []*ScreenTombstoneType  `json:"screentombstones,omitempty"`
 	SessionTombstones []*SessionTombstoneType `json:"sessiontombstones,omitempty"`
+	AlertMessage      *AlertMessageType       `json:"alertmessage,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (*ModelUpdate) UpdateType() string {
@@ -128,6 +129,13 @@ type RemoteEditType struct {
 	HasPassword bool   `json:"haspassword,omitempty"`
 }
 
+type AlertMessageType struct {
+	Title    string `json:"title,omitempty"`
+	Message  string `json:"message"`
+	Confirm  bool   `json:"confirm,omitempty"`
+	Markdown bool   `json:"markdown,omitempty"`
+}
+
 type InfoMsgType struct {
 	InfoTitle     string   `json:"infotitle"`
 	InfoError     string   `json:"infoerror,omitempty"`