diff --git a/beets/importer.py b/beets/importer.py
index 8e8d5587c..eca578f6f 100644
--- a/beets/importer.py
+++ b/beets/importer.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from beets import dbcore
 from beets import plugins
 from beets import util
 from beets import config
+from beets import ui
 from beets.util import pipeline
 from beets.util import syspath, normpath, displayable_path
 from beets.util.enumeration import enum
@@ -893,15 +894,7 @@ def manipulate_files(session):
                     item.move(True)
 
             if config['import']['write'] and task.should_write_tags():
-                # FIXME duplicates code from `ui.commands.write_items`.
-                try:
-                    item.write()
-                except (mediafile.UnreadableFileError,
-                        util.FilesystemError,
-                        plugins.BeforeWriteError) as exc:
-                    log.error(u'could not write {0}: {1}'.format(
-                        util.displayable_path(item.path), exc
-                    ))
+                ui.commands._item_write(item)
 
         # Save new paths.
         with session.lib.transaction():
diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index bebdcaa48..dbc6fda3e 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ def _do_query(lib, query, album, also_items=True):
 
     return items, albums
 
+def _item_write(item):
+    """Wrapper for ``item.write()`` that handles exceptions and logs
+    errors during user interaction.
+    """
+    try:
+        item.write()
+    except (mediafile.UnreadableFileError,
+            util.FilesystemError,
+            plugins.BeforeWriteError) as exc:
+        log.error(u'could not write {0}: {1}'.format(
+            util.displayable_path(item.path), exc
+        ))
+
 
 
 # fields: Shows a list of available fields for queries and format strings.
@@ -1135,16 +1148,7 @@ def modify_items(lib, mods, query, write, move, album, confirm):
         else:
             changed_items = changed
         for item in changed_items:
-            # FIXME duplicates code from `ui.commands.write_items`.
-            try:
-                item.write()
-            except (mediafile.UnreadableFileError,
-                    util.FilesystemError,
-                    plugins.BeforeWriteError) as exc:
-                log.error(u'could not write {0}: {1}'.format(
-                    util.displayable_path(item.path), exc
-                ))
-                continue
+            _item_write(item)
 
 modify_cmd = ui.Subcommand('modify',
     help='change metadata fields', aliases=('mod',))
@@ -1241,15 +1245,7 @@ def write_items(lib, query, pretend):
         changed = ui.show_model_changes(item, clean_item,
                                         library.ITEM_KEYS_WRITABLE, always=True)
         if changed and not pretend:
-            try:
-                item.write()
-            except (mediafile.UnreadableFileError,
-                    util.FilesystemError,
-                    plugins.BeforeWriteError) as exc:
-                log.error(u'could not write {0}: {1}'.format(
-                    util.displayable_path(item.path), exc
-                ))
-                continue
+            _item_write(item)
 
 write_cmd = ui.Subcommand('write', help='write tag information to files')
 write_cmd.parser.add_option('-p', '--pretend', action='store_true',