diff --git a/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_load.py b/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_load.py
index d1269d00e3f..00a25ab0f4b 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_load.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/test_impex/tests/test_load.py
@@ -571,11 +571,12 @@ class test_m2o(ImporterCase):
         # 1 x SAVEPOINT load
         # 3 x name_search
         # 1 x SAVEPOINT _load_records
-        # 3 x insert
+        # 1 x select on list of existing modules
+        # 1 x insert
         # 1 x RELEASE SAVEPOINT _load_records
         # 1 x RELEASE SAVEPOINT load
-        # => 10
-        with self.assertQueryCount(8):
+        # => 9
+        with self.assertQueryCount(9):
             result = self.import_(['value'], [
                 # import by display_name
                 [record1.display_name],
diff --git a/odoo/models.py b/odoo/models.py
index 9d94c5e159a..7f20801c79c 100644
--- a/odoo/models.py
+++ b/odoo/models.py
@@ -1225,6 +1225,10 @@ class BaseModel(metaclass=MetaModel):
                     # Failed to write, log to messages, rollback savepoint (to
                     # avoid broken transaction) and keep going
                     errors += 1
+                except UserError as e:
+                    info = rec_data['info']
+                    messages.append(dict(info, type='error', message=str(e)))
+                    errors += 1
                 except Exception as e:
                     _logger.debug("Error while loading record", exc_info=True)
                     info = rec_data['info']
@@ -4655,6 +4659,17 @@ class BaseModel(metaclass=MetaModel):
                 if data.get('xml_id') and not data['xml_id'].startswith(prefix):
                     _logger.warning("Creating record %s in module %s.", data['xml_id'], module)
 
+        if self.env.context.get('import_file'):
+            existing_modules = self.env['ir.module.module'].search([]).mapped('name')
+            for data in to_create:
+                xml_id = data.get('xml_id')
+                if xml_id:
+                    module_name, sep, record_id = xml_id.partition('.')
+                    if sep and module_name in existing_modules:
+                        raise UserError(
+                            _("The record %(xml_id)s has the module prefix %(module_name)s. This is the part before the '.' in the external id. Because the prefix refers to an existing module, the record would be deleted when the module is upgraded. Use either no prefix and no dot or a prefix that isn't an existing module. For example, __import__, resulting in the external id __import__.%(record_id)s.",
+                              xml_id=xml_id, module_name=module_name, record_id=record_id))
+
         # create records
         if to_create:
             records = self._load_records_create([data['values'] for data in to_create])