diff --git a/anki/importing/__init__.py b/anki/importing/__init__.py
index 4ac509448..a640f8b89 100644
--- a/anki/importing/__init__.py
+++ b/anki/importing/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from anki.lang import _
 
 Importers = (
     (_("Text separated by tabs or semicolons (*)"), TextImporter),
-    (_("Packaged Anki Deck (*.apkg)"), AnkiPackageImporter),
+    (_("Packaged Anki Deck (*.apkg *.zip)"), AnkiPackageImporter),
     (_("Anki 1.2 Deck (*.anki)"), Anki1Importer),
     (_("Mnemosyne 2.0 Deck (*.db)"), MnemosyneImporter),
     (_("Supermemo XML export (*.xml)"), SupermemoXmlImporter),
diff --git a/aqt/importing.py b/aqt/importing.py
index a87890d9b..f30b55136 100644
--- a/aqt/importing.py
+++ b/aqt/importing.py
@@ -300,8 +300,15 @@ backup, please see the 'Backups' section of the user manual."""))
             mw.progress.finish()
         diag = ImportDialog(mw, importer)
     else:
-        # if it's an apkg, we need to ask whether to import/replace
+        # if it's an apkg/zip, first test it's a valid file
         if importer.__class__.__name__ == "AnkiPackageImporter":
+            z = zipfile.ZipFile(importer.file)
+            try:
+                z.getinfo("collection.anki2")
+            except:
+                showWarning(_("The provided file is not a valid .apkg file."))
+                return
+            # we need to ask whether to import/replace
             if not setupApkgImport(mw, importer):
                 return
         mw.progress.start(immediate=True)