diff --git a/plugins/appwizard/appwizardplugin.cpp b/plugins/appwizard/appwizardplugin.cpp
--- a/plugins/appwizard/appwizardplugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/appwizard/appwizardplugin.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
         vcsError(i18n("Could not add files to the DVCS repository"), scratchArea, dest);
         return false;
     }
-    job = dvcs->commit(QStringLiteral("initial project import from KDevelop"), {dest},
+    job = dvcs->commit(info.importCommitMessage, {dest},
                             KDevelop::IBasicVersionControl::Recursive);
     if (!job || !job->exec() || job->status() != VcsJob::JobSucceeded)
     {
diff --git a/plugins/appwizard/projectvcspage.cpp b/plugins/appwizard/projectvcspage.cpp
--- a/plugins/appwizard/projectvcspage.cpp
+++ b/plugins/appwizard/projectvcspage.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
                                                     m_ui->vcsImportOptions );
             if( widget )
             {
+                // untranslated on purpose, as English might be lingua franca at most target users
+                // perhaps make default string configurable if people request it
+                widget->setMessage(QStringLiteral("Initial import"));
                 widget->setSourceLocationEditable( false );
                 widget->setUseSourceDirForDestination( true );
                 m_ui->vcsTypes->insertItem( idx, iface->name() );
diff --git a/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.h b/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.h
--- a/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.h
+++ b/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     QString message() const override;
     void setSourceLocation( const KDevelop::VcsLocation& ) override;
     void setSourceLocationEditable( bool ) override;
+    void setMessage(const QString& message) override;
     bool hasValidData() const override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.cpp b/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.cpp
--- a/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.cpp
+++ b/plugins/cvs/importmetadatawidget.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@
     m_ui->sourceLoc->setEnabled( enable );
 }
 
+void ImportMetadataWidget::setMessage(const QString& message)
+{
+    m_ui->comment->setText(message);
+}
+
 bool ImportMetadataWidget::hasValidData() const
 {
     return !m_ui->comment->toPlainText().isEmpty() && !m_ui->sourceLoc->text().isEmpty()
diff --git a/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.h b/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.h
--- a/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.h
+++ b/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     KDevelop::VcsLocation destination() const override;
     QString message() const override;
     void setUseSourceDirForDestination( bool ) override;
+    void setMessage(const QString& message) override;
     bool hasValidData() const override;
 private:
     Ui::SvnImportMetadataWidget *m_ui;
diff --git a/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.cpp b/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.cpp
--- a/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.cpp
+++ b/plugins/subversion/svnimportmetadatawidget.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@
     m_ui->srcEdit->setEnabled( enable );
 }
 
+void SvnImportMetadataWidget::setMessage(const QString& message)
+{
+    m_ui->message->setText(message);
+}
+
 QString SvnImportMetadataWidget::message() const
 {
     return m_ui->message->toPlainText();
diff --git a/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.h b/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.h
--- a/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.h
+++ b/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     QString message() const override; //Is not used, it returns an empty string
     void setSourceLocation( const KDevelop::VcsLocation& ) override;
     void setSourceLocationEditable( bool ) override;
+    void setMessage(const QString& message) override;
     bool hasValidData() const override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.cpp b/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.cpp
--- a/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.cpp
+++ b/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
     d->m_ui->sourceLoc->setMode( KFile::Directory );
     connect( d->m_ui->sourceLoc, &KUrlRequester::textChanged, this, &DvcsImportMetadataWidget::changed );
     connect( d->m_ui->sourceLoc, &KUrlRequester::urlSelected, this, &DvcsImportMetadataWidget::changed );
+    connect(d->m_ui->message, &QTextEdit::textChanged, this, &DvcsImportMetadataWidget::changed);
 }
 
 DvcsImportMetadataWidget::~DvcsImportMetadataWidget()
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@
 
 QString DvcsImportMetadataWidget::message( ) const
 {
-    return QString();
+    Q_D(const DvcsImportMetadataWidget);
+    return d->m_ui->message->toPlainText();
 }
 
 void DvcsImportMetadataWidget::setSourceLocation( const KDevelop::VcsLocation& url )
@@ -90,9 +92,15 @@
     d->m_ui->sourceLoc->setEnabled( enable );
 }
 
+void DvcsImportMetadataWidget::setMessage(const QString& message)
+{
+    Q_D(DvcsImportMetadataWidget);
+    d->m_ui->message->setText(message);
+}
+
 bool DvcsImportMetadataWidget::hasValidData() const
 {
     Q_D(const DvcsImportMetadataWidget);
-    return !d->m_ui->sourceLoc->text().isEmpty();
+    return !d->m_ui->message->toPlainText().isEmpty() && !d->m_ui->sourceLoc->text().isEmpty();
 }
 
diff --git a/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.ui b/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.ui
--- a/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.ui
+++ b/vcs/dvcs/ui/dvcsimportmetadatawidget.ui
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
   <property name="windowTitle" >
    <string>Import</string>
   </property>
-  <layout class="QGridLayout" >
+  <layout class="QFormLayout" >
+   <property name="margin">
+    <number>0</number>
+   </property>
    <item row="0" column="0" >
     <widget class="QLabel" name="labelUrl" >
      <property name="text" >
@@ -23,6 +26,23 @@
    <item row="0" column="1" >
     <widget class="KUrlRequester" name="sourceLoc" />
    </item>
+   <item row="1" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Commit Message:</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="1" column="1">
+    <widget class="KTextEdit" name="message">
+     <property name="sizePolicy">
+      <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Expanding">
+       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+       <verstretch>1</verstretch>
+      </sizepolicy>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <customwidgets>
@@ -32,6 +52,11 @@
    <header>kurlrequester.h</header>
    <container>1</container>
   </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>KTextEdit</class>
+   <extends>QTextEdit</extends>
+   <header>ktextedit.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
  </customwidgets>
  <resources/>
  <connections/>
diff --git a/vcs/widgets/vcsimportmetadatawidget.h b/vcs/widgets/vcsimportmetadatawidget.h
--- a/vcs/widgets/vcsimportmetadatawidget.h
+++ b/vcs/widgets/vcsimportmetadatawidget.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 public Q_SLOTS:
     virtual void setSourceLocation( const VcsLocation& ) = 0;
     virtual void setSourceLocationEditable( bool ) = 0;
+    virtual void setMessage(const QString& message) = 0;
 };
 
 }