diff --git a/backlogger/initialization.py b/backlogger/initialization.py
index 590fed9..ea0b580 100644
--- a/backlogger/initialization.py
+++ b/backlogger/initialization.py
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ import datalad.api as dl
 import os
 
 
-def _create_db(path):
+def _create_db(db):
     """
     Create the database file and the table.
 
     """
-    conn = sqlite3.connect(path)
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(db)
     c = conn.cursor()
     c.execute('''CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS backlogs
                  (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
@@ -38,9 +38,8 @@ def create(path):
     """
     dl.create(path)
     _create_db(path + '/backlogger.db')
-    os.chmod(path + '/backlogger.db', 0o666)
+    os.chmod(path + '/backlogger.db', 0o666)  # why does this not work?
     os.makedirs(path + '/projects')
-    os.makedirs(path + '/projects/tmp')
     os.makedirs(path + '/archive')
     os.makedirs(path + '/import_scripts/template.py')
     dl.save(path, dataset=path, message="Initialize backlogger directory.")
diff --git a/backlogger/main.py b/backlogger/main.py
index 2a8670e..b065589 100644
--- a/backlogger/main.py
+++ b/backlogger/main.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import sqlite3
 import datalad.api as dl
+import datalad.config as dlc
 import os
 from .git_tools import move_submodule
+import shutil
 
 
 def create_project(path, uuid, aliases=None, code=None):
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ def create_project(path, uuid, aliases=None, code=None):
     dl.save(path + "/backlogger.db", message="Added entry for project " + uuid + " to database", dataset=path)
 
 
-def import_project(url, path, aliases=None, code=None):
+def import_project(path, url, aliases=None, code=None, isDataset=True):
     """
     Parameters
     ----------
@@ -41,25 +43,40 @@ def import_project(url, path, aliases=None, code=None):
         The url of the project to import. This can be any url that datalad can handle.
     path: str
         The path to the backlogger folder.
-    name: str
+    aliases: list[str]
         Custom name of the project, alias of the project.
     code: str
         Code that was used to create the measurements.
+
+    Import a datalad dataset into the backlogger.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    path: str
+        The path to the backlogger directory.
+    url: str
+        The url of the project to import. This can be any url that datalad can handle.
+        Also supported are non-datalad datasets, which will be converted to datalad datasets,
+        in order to receive a uuid and have a consistent interface.
+
     """
-
-    # install in tmp to find uuid
     tmp_path = path + '/projects/tmp'
-    dl.install(path=tmp_path, source=url, dataset=path)
-    with open(tmp_path + "/.datalad/config") as fp:
-        for line in fp:
-            if line.startswith("\tid"):
-                uuid = line.split()[2]
-                break
+    if not isDataset:
+        dl.create(path + '/projects/tmp', dataset=path)
+        shutil.copytree(url + "/*", path + '/projects/tmp/')
+        dl.save(path + '/projects/tmp', dataset=path)
+    else:
+        dl.install(path=tmp_path, source=url, dataset=path)
 
+    conf = dlc.ConfigManager(tmp_path)
+    uuid = conf.get("datalad.dataset.id")
+    if not uuid:
+        raise ValueError("The dataset does not have a uuid!")
+    dl.unlock(path + "/backlogger.db", dataset=path)
     create_project(path, uuid, aliases, code)
     move_submodule(path, 'projects/tmp', 'projects/' + uuid)
-    os.mkdir(path + '/projects/tmp')
 
     os.mkdir(path + '/import_scripts/' + uuid)
-    dl.save(path, message="Import project from " + url, dataset=path)
+    # make this more concrete
+    dl.save([path + "/backlogger.db", 'projects/' + uuid], message="Import project from " + url, dataset=path)
     return uuid