diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9ce56f03..10637794 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ## v4.6.1, unreleased
 
+### Added
+
+- Added `wwctl overlay import --overwrite` to overwrite existing overlay file.
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - Fixed panic in warewulfd if node netdev is only defined in a profile. #1817
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go
index 335ab673..ef948fe7 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 		dest = path.Join(dest, path.Base(source))
 	}
 
-	if util.IsFile(overlay_.File(dest)) {
+	if !OverwriteFile && util.IsFile(overlay_.File(dest)) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("a file with that name already exists in the overlay: %s", overlayName)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go
index 2003ce93..dbbfcc94 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package imprt
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	warewulfconf "github.com/warewulf/warewulf/internal/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/warewulf/warewulf/internal/pkg/node"
+	"github.com/warewulf/warewulf/internal/pkg/testenv"
 	"github.com/warewulf/warewulf/internal/pkg/warewulfd"
 )
 
@@ -89,3 +91,80 @@ nodes: {}
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func Test_Import(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]struct {
+		initFiles   []string
+		initDirs    []string
+		args        []string
+		errExpected bool
+	}{
+		"import a file": {
+			initFiles: []string{"importfile"},
+			initDirs:  []string{"/var/lib/warewulf/overlays/to1/rootfs"},
+			args:      []string{"to1", "importfile"},
+		},
+
+		"import missing parent": {
+			initFiles:   []string{"importfile"},
+			initDirs:    []string{"/var/lib/warewulf/overlays/to1/rootfs"},
+			args:        []string{"to1", "importfile", "a/b/importfile"},
+			errExpected: true,
+		},
+
+		"import create parents": {
+			initFiles:   []string{"importfile"},
+			initDirs:    []string{"/var/lib/warewulf/overlays/to1/rootfs"},
+			args:        []string{"to1", "importfile", "a/b/importfile", "--parents"},
+			errExpected: false,
+		},
+
+		"import fail overwrite": {
+			initFiles:   []string{"importfile", "/var/lib/warewulf/overlays/to1/rootfs/importfile"},
+			args:        []string{"to1", "importfile"},
+			errExpected: true,
+		},
+
+		"import overwrite": {
+			initFiles:   []string{"importfile", "/var/lib/warewulf/overlays/to1/rootfs/importfile"},
+			args:        []string{"to1", "importfile", "--overwrite"},
+			errExpected: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for name, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			env := testenv.New(t)
+			defer env.RemoveAll()
+			{
+				wd, err := os.Getwd()
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				defer func() { assert.NoError(t, os.Chdir(wd)) }()
+			}
+			assert.NoError(t, os.Chdir(env.GetPath(".")))
+
+			OverwriteFile = false
+			CreateDirs = false
+
+			for _, file := range tt.initFiles {
+				env.CreateFile(file)
+			}
+			for _, dir := range tt.initDirs {
+				env.MkdirAll(dir)
+			}
+
+			cmd := GetCommand()
+			cmd.SetArgs(tt.args)
+			stdout := new(bytes.Buffer)
+			cmd.SetOut(stdout)
+			stderr := new(bytes.Buffer)
+			cmd.SetErr(stderr)
+			err := cmd.Execute()
+			if tt.errExpected {
+				assert.Error(t, err, stdout)
+			} else {
+				assert.NoError(t, err, stderr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go
index 8d54521e..c3958d86 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go
@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@ var (
 			}
 		},
 	}
+	OverwriteFile   bool
 	NoOverlayUpdate bool
 	CreateDirs      bool
 	Workers         int
 )
 
 func init() {
+	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&OverwriteFile, "overwrite", "o", false, "Overwrite file if exists")
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&NoOverlayUpdate, "noupdate", "n", false, "Don't update overlays")
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&CreateDirs, "parents", "p", false, "Create any necessary parent directories")
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().IntVar(&Workers, "workers", 0, "The number of parallel workers building overlays (<=0 indicates 1 worker per CPU)")
diff --git a/internal/pkg/util/copyfile.go b/internal/pkg/util/copyfile.go
index ccaabbda..7f1a984b 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/util/copyfile.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/util/copyfile.go
@@ -14,27 +14,27 @@ func CopyFile(src string, dst string) error {
 	// Open source file
 	srcFD, err := os.Open(src)
 	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Error("Could not open source file %s: %s", src, err)
+		wwlog.Debug("Could not open source file %s: %s", src, err)
 		return err
 	}
 	defer srcFD.Close()
 
 	srcInfo, err := srcFD.Stat()
 	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Error("Could not stat source file %s: %s", src, err)
+		wwlog.Debug("Could not stat source file %s: %s", src, err)
 		return err
 	}
 
 	dstFD, err := os.OpenFile(dst, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, srcInfo.Mode())
 	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Error("Could not create destination file %s: %s", dst, err)
+		wwlog.Debug("Could not create destination file %s: %s", dst, err)
 		return err
 	}
 	defer dstFD.Close()
 
 	bytes, err := io.Copy(dstFD, srcFD)
 	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Error("File copy from %s to %s failed.\n %s", src, dst, err)
+		wwlog.Debug("File copy from %s to %s failed.\n %s", src, dst, err)
 		return err
 	} else {
 		wwlog.Debug("Copied %d bytes from %s to %s.", bytes, src, dst)
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func CopyFile(src string, dst string) error {
 
 	err = CopyUIDGID(src, dst)
 	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Error("Ownership copy from %s to %s failed.\n %s", src, dst, err)
+		wwlog.Debug("Ownership copy from %s to %s failed.\n %s", src, dst, err)
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil