diff --git a/.changes/next-release/enhancement-Configure-43901.json b/.changes/next-release/enhancement-Configure-43901.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0e4a7a0b0203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/next-release/enhancement-Configure-43901.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "type": "enhancement",
+  "category": "configure",
+  "description": "Improved error messaging for `aws configure import --csv` command to clarify file"
+}
diff --git a/awscli/customizations/configure/importer.py b/awscli/customizations/configure/importer.py
index 3fd2d381257e..fa7a73a651bb 100644
--- a/awscli/customizations/configure/importer.py
+++ b/awscli/customizations/configure/importer.py
@@ -37,9 +37,11 @@ class ConfigureImportCommand(BasicCommand):
             'name': 'csv',
             'required': True,
             'help_text': (
-                'The credentials in CSV format generated by the AWS web console.'
+                'The credentials in CSV format generated by the AWS web console. '
                 'The CSV file must contain the "User name", "Access key ID", and '
                 '"Secret access key" headers.'
+                'If passing a CSV file path instead of a CSV-formatted string, '
+                'the "file://" prefix is required.'
             ),
             'cli_type_name': 'string',
         },
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ def _get_config_path(self):
         return os.path.expanduser(config_file)
 
     def _import_csv(self, contents):
+        self._check_possible_filepath(contents)
         config_path = self._get_config_path()
         credentials = self._csv_parser.parse_credentials(contents)
         for credential in credentials:
@@ -97,6 +100,15 @@ def _import_csv(self, contents):
         import_msg = 'Successfully imported %s profile(s)\n' % len(credentials)
         uni_print(import_msg, out_file=self._out_stream)
 
+    def _check_possible_filepath(self, csv_data):
+        if ('\n' not in csv_data and
+            os.path.exists(csv_data) and
+            not csv_data.startswith('file://')):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "You may be passing a file to import without the 'file://' prefix. "
+                "To import a CSV file, use --csv file://path/to/file.csv"
+            )
+
     def _run_main(self, parsed_args, parsed_globals):
         self._csv_parser.strict = not parsed_args.skip_invalid
         self._profile_prefix = parsed_args.profile_prefix
diff --git a/tests/unit/customizations/configure/test_importer.py b/tests/unit/customizations/configure/test_importer.py
index 34d009d8e62f..53e2b45fe569 100644
--- a/tests/unit/customizations/configure/test_importer.py
+++ b/tests/unit/customizations/configure/test_importer.py
@@ -93,6 +93,31 @@ def test_import_downloaded_bad_headers(self):
         with self.assertRaises(CredentialParserError):
             self.import_command(args=['--csv', content], parsed_globals=None)
 
+    def test_raises_error_when_plain_file_path_passed(self):
+        with open('temp_creds.csv', 'w') as f:
+            f.write('User name,Access key ID,Secret access key\nuser,AKID,SAK')
+        try:
+            with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as cm:
+                self.import_command(args=['--csv', 'temp_creds.csv'], parsed_globals=None)
+            self.assertIn("without the 'file://' prefix", str(cm.exception))
+        finally:
+            os.remove('temp_creds.csv')
+
+    def test_inline_csv_succeeds(self):
+        csv_string = 'User name,Access key ID,Secret access key\nuser,AKID,SAK'
+        self.import_command(args=['--csv', csv_string], parsed_globals=None)
+        self.assertIn('Successfully imported 1 profile', self.stdout.getvalue())
+
+    def test_csv_content_from_file_succeeds(self):
+        with open('temp_creds.csv', 'w') as f:
+            f.write('User name,Access key ID,Secret access key\nuser,AKID,SAK')
+        try:
+            with open('temp_creds.csv', 'r') as f:
+                contents = f.read()
+            self.import_command(args=['--csv', contents], parsed_globals=None)
+            self.assertIn('Successfully imported 1 profile', self.stdout.getvalue())
+        finally:
+            os.remove('temp_creds.csv')
 
 class TestCSVCredentialParser(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):