diff --git a/beets/config_default.yaml b/beets/config_default.yaml
index 47afe70ce..78f16d051 100644
--- a/beets/config_default.yaml
+++ b/beets/config_default.yaml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import:
     detail: no
     flat: no
     group_albums: no
+    pretend: false
 
 clutter: ["Thumbs.DB", ".DS_Store"]
 ignore: [".*", "*~", "System Volume Information"]
diff --git a/beets/importer.py b/beets/importer.py
index 4844fc128..a2a12158c 100644
--- a/beets/importer.py
+++ b/beets/importer.py
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ from beets import dbcore
 from beets import plugins
 from beets import util
 from beets import config
-from beets.ui import print_
 from beets.util import pipeline, sorted_walk, ancestry
 from beets.util import syspath, normpath, displayable_path
 from enum import Enum
@@ -961,8 +960,6 @@ class ImportTaskFactory(object):
         self.toppath = toppath
         self.session = session
         self.skipped = 0
-        self.pretend = session.config[
-            'pretend'] if 'pretend' in session.config else False
 
     def tasks(self):
         """Yield all import tasks for `self.toppath`.
@@ -973,22 +970,15 @@ class ImportTaskFactory(object):
         for dirs, paths in self.paths():
             if self.session.config['singletons']:
                 for path in paths:
-                    if self.pretend:
-                        print_(displayable_path(path))
-                    else:
-                        task = self.singleton(path)
-                        if task:
-                            yield task
+                    task = self.singleton(path)
+                    if task:
+                        yield task
                 yield self.sentinel(dirs)
 
             else:
-                if self.pretend:
-                    for path in paths:
-                        print_(displayable_path(path))
-                else:
-                    task = self.album(paths, dirs)
-                    if task:
-                        yield task
+                task = self.album(paths, dirs)
+                if task:
+                    yield task
 
     def paths(self):
         """Walk `self.toppath` and yield pairs of directory lists and
@@ -1106,18 +1096,26 @@ def read_tasks(session):
         task_factory = ImportTaskFactory(toppath, session)
         imported = False
         for t in task_factory.tasks():
-            imported |= not t.skip
-            yield t
+            if session.config['pretend']:
+                imported = True
+                if isinstance(t, SingletonImportTask):
+                    log.info(displayable_path(t.item['path']))
+                elif t.items:
+                    for item in t.items:
+                        log.info(displayable_path(item['path']))
+            else:
+                imported |= not t.skip
+                yield t
 
         # Indicate the directory is finished.
         # FIXME hack to delete extracted archives
-        if not task_factory.pretend:
+        if not session.config['pretend']:
             if archive_task is None:
                 yield task_factory.sentinel()
             else:
                 yield archive_task
 
-        if not imported and not task_factory.pretend:
+        if not imported:
             log.warn(u'No files imported from {0}'
                      .format(displayable_path(user_toppath)))
 
diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 69f7cb898..c8e217d3c 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@ import_cmd.parser.add_option(
     help='group tracks in a folder into separate albums'
 )
 import_cmd.parser.add_option(
-    '-e', '--pretend', dest='pretend', action='store_true',
+    '--pretend', dest='pretend', action='store_true',
     help='only print files to import, but don\'t import'
 )
 import_cmd.func = import_func
diff --git a/test/test_importer.py b/test/test_importer.py
index 468315a35..d71a8def2 100644
--- a/test/test_importer.py
+++ b/test/test_importer.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from mock import patch
 
 import _common
 from _common import unittest
+from beets.util import displayable_path
 from helper import TestImportSession, TestHelper, has_program, capture_log
 from beets import importer
 from beets.importer import albums_in_dir
@@ -1533,6 +1534,11 @@ class ReimportTest(unittest.TestCase, ImportHelper):
 class ImportPretendTest(_common.TestCase, ImportHelper):
     """ Test the pretend commandline option
     """
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(ImportPretendTest, self).__init__()
+        self.matcher = None
+
     def setUp(self):
         super(ImportPretendTest, self).setUp()
         self.setup_beets()
@@ -1546,7 +1552,7 @@ class ImportPretendTest(_common.TestCase, ImportHelper):
         self.teardown_beets()
         self.matcher.restore()
 
-    def test_import_enumerate_only(self):
+    def test_import_pretend(self):
         resource_path = os.path.join(_common.RSRC, u'empty.mp3')
         single_path = os.path.join(self.import_dir, u'track_2.mp3')
 
@@ -1558,17 +1564,33 @@ class ImportPretendTest(_common.TestCase, ImportHelper):
         self._setup_import_session(singletons=True)
         self.importer.paths = import_files
 
-        self.importer.run()
-        out = self.io.getoutput()
+        with capture_log() as logs:
+            self.importer.run()
 
         self.assertEqual(len(self.lib.items()), 0)
         self.assertEqual(len(self.lib.albums()), 0)
 
-        lines = out.splitlines()
-        self.assertEqual(len(lines), 2)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[0], os.path.join(import_files[0],
-                                                u'track_1.mp3'))
-        self.assertEqual(lines[1], import_files[1])
+        self.assertEqual(len(logs), 3)
+        self.assertEqual(logs[1], os.path.join(import_files[0],
+                                               u'track_1.mp3'))
+        self.assertEqual(logs[2], import_files[1])
+
+    def test_import_pretend_empty(self):
+        path = os.path.join(self.temp_dir, 'empty')
+        os.makedirs(path)
+
+        self._setup_import_session(singletons=True)
+        self.importer.paths = [path]
+
+        with capture_log() as logs:
+            self.importer.run()
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.lib.items()), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.lib.albums()), 0)
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(logs), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(logs[1], 'No files imported from {0}'
+                                  .format(displayable_path(path)))
 
 
 def suite():