diff --git a/resources/js/components/blueprints/ImportField.vue b/resources/js/components/blueprints/ImportField.vue
index 968ba053d92..cded3072751 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/blueprints/ImportField.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/blueprints/ImportField.vue
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@
 <script>
 import Field from './Field.vue';
 import FieldSettings from '../fields/ImportSettings.vue';
+import PreservesImportedSections from './PreservesImportedSections.js';
 
 export default {
-    mixins: [Field],
+    mixins: [Field, PreservesImportedSections],
 
     components: { FieldSettings },
 
@@ -76,6 +77,10 @@ export default {
         },
 
         sectionBehavior() {
+            if (!this.canPreserveImportedSections) {
+                return 'flatten';
+            }
+
             return this.field.section_behavior ?? 'preserve';
         },
 
diff --git a/resources/js/components/blueprints/LinkFields.vue b/resources/js/components/blueprints/LinkFields.vue
index 5d6e4ff91f4..276b9d1fc13 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/blueprints/LinkFields.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/blueprints/LinkFields.vue
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     </Field>
 
                     <Field
-                        v-if="selectedFieldsetHasSections"
+                        v-if="canChooseSectionBehavior"
                         :label="__('Section Behavior')"
                         :instructions="__('messages.fieldset_import_section_behavior_instructions')"
                         class="mt-6"
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@
 import { nanoid as uniqid } from 'nanoid';
 import { Combobox, Button, Input, Heading, Field, Stack, StackClose, RadioGroup, Radio } from '@/components/ui';
 import { usePage } from '@inertiajs/vue3';
+import PreservesImportedSections from './PreservesImportedSections.js';
 
 export default {
+    mixins: [PreservesImportedSections],
+
     components: { Heading, Combobox, Button, Input, Field, Stack, StackClose, RadioGroup, Radio },
 
     props: {
@@ -162,6 +165,10 @@ export default {
 
             return this.fieldsets.find((f) => f.handle === this.fieldset)?.has_sections === true;
         },
+
+        canChooseSectionBehavior() {
+            return this.selectedFieldsetHasSections && this.canPreserveImportedSections;
+        },
     },
 
     watch: {
@@ -207,7 +214,7 @@ export default {
                 prefix: this.importPrefix,
             };
 
-            if (this.selectedFieldsetHasSections) {
+            if (this.canChooseSectionBehavior) {
                 field.section_behavior = this.sectionBehavior;
             }
 
diff --git a/resources/js/components/blueprints/PreservesImportedSections.js b/resources/js/components/blueprints/PreservesImportedSections.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3ee0609c2f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/js/components/blueprints/PreservesImportedSections.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Imported fieldset sections are only kept when the import sits at the top level of a blueprint.
+// Fieldsets and nested fields (e.g. replicator sets, grids) always flatten them.
+export default {
+    inject: {
+        importIsInsideSet: { from: 'isInsideSet', default: false },
+        importIsInsideConfigFields: { from: 'isInsideConfigFields', default: false },
+        importIsInsideFieldset: { from: 'isInsideFieldset', default: false },
+    },
+
+    computed: {
+        canPreserveImportedSections() {
+            return !this.importIsInsideSet && !this.importIsInsideConfigFields && !this.importIsInsideFieldset;
+        },
+    },
+};
diff --git a/resources/js/components/fields/ImportSettings.vue b/resources/js/components/fields/ImportSettings.vue
index 4549a1d314c..615b8adc47a 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/fields/ImportSettings.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/fields/ImportSettings.vue
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                 </Field>
 
                 <Field
-                    v-if="fieldsetHasSections"
+                    v-if="canChooseSectionBehavior"
                     :label="__('Section Behavior')"
                     :instructions="sectionBehaviorInstructions"
                     class="form-group field-w-100"
@@ -43,8 +43,11 @@
 
 <script>
 import { Button, Heading, CardPanel, Field, Input, StackHeader, StackContent, RadioGroup, Radio } from '@/components/ui';
+import PreservesImportedSections from '../blueprints/PreservesImportedSections.js';
 
 export default {
+    mixins: [PreservesImportedSections],
+
     components: { StackContent, StackHeader, Heading, Button, CardPanel, Field, Input, RadioGroup, Radio },
 
     props: ['config', 'isInsideSet'],
@@ -77,6 +80,10 @@ export default {
             return this.fieldsetMeta?.has_sections === true;
         },
 
+        canChooseSectionBehavior() {
+            return this.fieldsetHasSections && !this.isInsideSet && this.canPreserveImportedSections;
+        },
+
         sectionBehavior() {
             return this.values.section_behavior ?? 'preserve';
         },
diff --git a/resources/js/pages/fieldsets/Edit.vue b/resources/js/pages/fieldsets/Edit.vue
index e574128a2f5..1c837f6fcad 100644
--- a/resources/js/pages/fieldsets/Edit.vue
+++ b/resources/js/pages/fieldsets/Edit.vue
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ export default {
 
     props: ['action', 'initialFieldset'],
 
+    provide: {
+        isInsideFieldset: true,
+    },
+
     data() {
         return {
             method: 'patch',
diff --git a/resources/js/tests/components/ImportedFieldsetSections.test.js b/resources/js/tests/components/ImportedFieldsetSections.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9a27e982700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/js/tests/components/ImportedFieldsetSections.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import { shallowMount } from '@vue/test-utils';
+import { describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest';
+import * as Globals from '@/bootstrap/globals';
+import LinkFields from '@/components/blueprints/LinkFields.vue';
+import ImportField from '@/components/blueprints/ImportField.vue';
+import ImportSettings from '@/components/fields/ImportSettings.vue';
+
+const fieldsets = {
+    sectioned: { handle: 'sectioned', title: 'Sectioned', fields: [], has_sections: true, sections_count: 2 },
+    flat: { handle: 'flat', title: 'Flat', fields: [], has_sections: false, sections_count: 0 },
+};
+
+vi.mock('@inertiajs/vue3', () => ({
+    usePage: () => ({ props: { fieldsets } }),
+}));
+
+Object.keys(Globals).forEach((fn) => (window[fn] = Globals[fn]));
+window.__ = (key) => key;
+window.__n = (key) => key;
+window.cp_url = (url) => url;
+
+const nestedContexts = [
+    ['a replicator or bard set', { isInsideSet: true }],
+    ['nested field settings (e.g. a grid or group)', { isInsideConfigFields: true }],
+    ['a fieldset', { isInsideFieldset: true }],
+];
+
+function mount(component, { props = {}, provide = {} } = {}) {
+    return shallowMount(component, {
+        props,
+        global: {
+            provide,
+            renderStubDefaultSlot: true,
+            mocks: { $page: { props: { fieldsets } } },
+        },
+    });
+}
+
+describe('linking a fieldset', () => {
+    function linkFieldset(handle, provide = {}) {
+        const wrapper = mount(LinkFields, { provide });
+        wrapper.vm.fieldset = handle;
+        wrapper.vm.linkFieldset();
+
+        return { wrapper, field: wrapper.emitted('linked')[0][0] };
+    }
+
+    test('offers section behavior for a sectioned fieldset at the top level of a blueprint', () => {
+        const wrapper = mount(LinkFields);
+        wrapper.vm.fieldset = 'sectioned';
+
+        expect(wrapper.vm.canChooseSectionBehavior).toBe(true);
+        expect(linkFieldset('sectioned').field.section_behavior).toBe('preserve');
+    });
+
+    test('does not offer section behavior for a flat fieldset', () => {
+        const wrapper = mount(LinkFields);
+        wrapper.vm.fieldset = 'flat';
+
+        expect(wrapper.vm.canChooseSectionBehavior).toBe(false);
+        expect(linkFieldset('flat').field).not.toHaveProperty('section_behavior');
+    });
+
+    test.each(nestedContexts)('does not offer section behavior inside %s', (_, provide) => {
+        const wrapper = mount(LinkFields, { provide });
+        wrapper.vm.fieldset = 'sectioned';
+
+        expect(wrapper.vm.canChooseSectionBehavior).toBe(false);
+        expect(linkFieldset('sectioned', provide).field).not.toHaveProperty('section_behavior');
+    });
+});
+
+describe('import settings', () => {
+    test('shows the section behavior control for a sectioned fieldset at the top level of a blueprint', () => {
+        const wrapper = mount(ImportSettings, { props: { config: { fieldset: 'sectioned' } } });
+
+        expect(wrapper.html()).toContain('Section Behavior');
+    });
+
+    test('hides the section behavior control for a flat fieldset', () => {
+        const wrapper = mount(ImportSettings, { props: { config: { fieldset: 'flat' } } });
+
+        expect(wrapper.html()).not.toContain('Section Behavior');
+    });
+
+    test.each(nestedContexts)('hides the section behavior control inside %s', (_, provide) => {
+        const wrapper = mount(ImportSettings, { props: { config: { fieldset: 'sectioned' } }, provide });
+
+        expect(wrapper.html()).not.toContain('Section Behavior');
+    });
+
+    test('hides the section behavior control when the isInsideSet prop is passed', () => {
+        const wrapper = mount(ImportSettings, { props: { config: { fieldset: 'sectioned' }, isInsideSet: true } });
+
+        expect(wrapper.html()).not.toContain('Section Behavior');
+    });
+});
+
+describe('import field badge', () => {
+    function badge(field, provide = {}) {
+        return mount(ImportField, { props: { field: { _id: 'a', type: 'import', ...field } }, provide }).vm
+            .sectionBadgeText;
+    }
+
+    test('shows sections are kept at the top level of a blueprint', () => {
+        expect(badge({ fieldset: 'sectioned' })).toBe('Has Section|Has Sections');
+    });
+
+    test('shows sections are ignored when flattened at the top level of a blueprint', () => {
+        expect(badge({ fieldset: 'sectioned', section_behavior: 'flatten' })).toBe('Ignoring Section|Ignoring Sections');
+    });
+
+    test('shows no badge for a flat fieldset', () => {
+        expect(badge({ fieldset: 'flat' })).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    test.each(nestedContexts)('shows sections are ignored inside %s, even when set to preserve', (_, provide) => {
+        expect(badge({ fieldset: 'sectioned', section_behavior: 'preserve' }, provide)).toBe(
+            'Ignoring Section|Ignoring Sections',
+        );
+    });
+});