diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/controller/HomeController.java b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/controller/HomeController.java
index 7d76fb8d..d16f0c0d 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/controller/HomeController.java
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/controller/HomeController.java
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 
 import eu.dnetlib.common.controller.AbstractDnetController;
+import eu.dnetlib.organizations.importer.ImportExecutor;
+import eu.dnetlib.organizations.importer.ImportStatus;
 import eu.dnetlib.organizations.model.SystemConfiguration;
 import eu.dnetlib.organizations.repository.SystemConfigurationRepository;
 
@@ -28,6 +30,9 @@ public class HomeController extends AbstractDnetController {
 	@Autowired
 	private Environment env;
 
+	@Autowired
+	private ImportExecutor importExecutor;
+
 	@Autowired
 	private SystemConfigurationRepository systemConfigurationRepository;
 
@@ -94,18 +99,23 @@ public class HomeController extends AbstractDnetController {
 		return systemConfigurationRepository.findById(SystemConfiguration.DEFAULT_ID).get();
 	}
 
+	@ModelAttribute("isImportRunning")
+	public boolean isImportRunning(final Authentication authentication) {
+		return importExecutor.getLastImportExecution().getStatus() == ImportStatus.RUNNING;
+	}
+
 	@ModelAttribute("supportPages")
 	public Map<String, String> supportPages(final Authentication authentication) throws JsonMappingException, JsonProcessingException {
 		if (supportPages == null) {
 			final ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
 			final TypeReference<LinkedHashMap<String, String>> typeRef = new TypeReference<LinkedHashMap<String, String>>() {};
-			this.supportPages = mapper.readValue(supportPagesJson, typeRef);
+			supportPages = mapper.readValue(supportPagesJson, typeRef);
 		}
 		return supportPages;
 	}
 
 	@GetMapping({
-		"apidoc", "api-doc", "/doc", "/swagger"
+			"apidoc", "api-doc", "/doc", "/swagger"
 	})
 	public String apiDoc() {
 		return "redirect:swagger-ui/index.html";
diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/model/SystemConfiguration.java b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/model/SystemConfiguration.java
index e778bc27..fad60df1 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/model/SystemConfiguration.java
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/organizations/model/SystemConfiguration.java
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ public class SystemConfiguration implements Serializable {
 	@Column(name = "homepage_msg")
 	private String homepageMessage;
 
+	@Column(name = "homepage_msg_import")
+	private String homepageMessageImport;
+
 	@Column(name = "readonly")
 	private Boolean readonly;
 
@@ -85,6 +88,14 @@ public class SystemConfiguration implements Serializable {
 		this.homepageMessage = homepageMessage;
 	}
 
+	public String getHomepageMessageImport() {
+		return homepageMessageImport;
+	}
+
+	public void setHomepageMessageImport(final String homepageMessageImport) {
+		this.homepageMessageImport = homepageMessageImport;
+	}
+
 	public Boolean getReadonly() {
 		return readonly;
 	}
diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/sql/schema.sql b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/sql/schema.sql
index 7da2de1a..ec24091b 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/sql/schema.sql
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/sql/schema.sql
@@ -32,13 +32,14 @@ DROP TABLE IF EXISTS languages;
 DROP SEQUENCE IF EXISTS organizations_id_seq;
 
 CREATE TABLE sysconf (
-	id             text PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT 'default',
-	title          text NOT NULL,
-	homepage_msg   text NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-	readonly       boolean NOT NULL DEFAULT false,
-	smtp_enabled   boolean NOT NULL DEFAULT false,
-	smtp_host      text NOT NULL DEFAULT 'localhost',
-	smtp_port      int NOT NULL DEFAULT 587,
+	id              text PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT 'default',
+	title           text NOT NULL,
+	homepage_msg    text NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+	homepage_msg_import text NOT NULL DEFAULT '<p>The portal is temporarily in read-only mode because we are updating the suggestions.<br /><br />We apologize for the inconvenience.</p>',
+	readonly        boolean NOT NULL DEFAULT false,
+	smtp_enabled    boolean NOT NULL DEFAULT false,
+	smtp_host       text NOT NULL DEFAULT 'localhost',
+	smtp_port       int NOT NULL DEFAULT 587,
 	smtp_user                text NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 	smtp_password            text NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 	smtp_from_mail           text NOT NULL DEFAULT 'no-reply@openaire.eu',
diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/static/resources/html/pages/admin/sysConf.html b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/static/resources/html/pages/admin/sysConf.html
index dee414ba..42dbe9cf 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/static/resources/html/pages/admin/sysConf.html
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/static/resources/html/pages/admin/sysConf.html
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
 							<textarea class="form-control" ng-model="sysconf.homepageMessage" placeholder="html message here" rows="5"></textarea>
 						</div>
 					</div>
+					<div class="form-group row">
+						<label class="col-sm-2 col-form-label">Homepage message during the import of the dedup events</label>
+						<div class="col-sm-10">
+							<textarea class="form-control" ng-model="sysconf.homepageMessageImport" placeholder="html message here" rows="5"></textarea>
+						</div>
+					</div>
 					<div class="form-group row">
 						<label class="col-sm-2 col-form-label">Read only</label>
 						<div class="col-sm-10">
diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/home.html b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/home.html
index 86dabe8f..ecd6777a 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/home.html
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/home.html
@@ -52,10 +52,9 @@
 					<div class="card-body">
 						<div class="tab-content">
 							<div class="tab-pane active text-center p-3" id="tabLogin">
-								<div th:utext="${sysconf.homepageMessage}"></div>
-								
-								<hr th:if="${sysconf.homepageMessage != '' and sysconf.homepageMessage != null}" />
-							
+								<div th:if="${!isImportRunning}" th:utext="${sysconf.homepageMessage}"></div>
+								<div th:if="${isImportRunning}" th:utext="${sysconf.homepageMessageImport}"></div>
+															
 								<a href="./main" class="btn btn-lg btn-primary">Access using OpenAIRE credentials</a>
 							</div>
 							<div class="tab-pane" id="tabRegister">
diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/login.html b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/login.html
index d2543a11..8d4308d7 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/login.html
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/login.html
@@ -51,9 +51,8 @@
 					<div class="card-body">
 						<div class="tab-content">
 							<div class="tab-pane active" id="tabLogin">
-								<div th:utext="${sysconf.homepageMessage}"></div>
-								
-								<hr th:if="${sysconf.homepageMessage != '' and sysconf.homepageMessage != null}" />
+								<div th:if="${!isImportRunning}" th:utext="${sysconf.homepageMessage}"></div>
+								<div th:if="${isImportRunning}" th:utext="${sysconf.homepageMessageImport}"></div>
 							
 								<form th:action="@{/login}" method="post">
 									<div th:if="${param.error}">
diff --git a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/main.html b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/main.html
index 5c3e863a..c97eadf6 100644
--- a/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/main.html
+++ b/apps/dnet-orgs-database-application/src/main/resources/templates/main.html
@@ -150,9 +150,8 @@ fieldset > legend        { font-size      : 1.2rem !important; }
 		
 	</nav>
 	
-	<div class="alert alert-danger text-center" th:if="${sysconf.readonly}">The portal is running in READ-ONLY mode.</div>
-
-
+	<div class="alert alert-danger text-center" th:if="${sysconf.readonly} or ${isImportRunning}">The portal is running in READ-ONLY mode.</div>
+								
 	<div class="container-fluid small mt-4" ng-view></div>
 	
 	<script sec:authorize="hasRole('ROLE_OPENORGS_ADMIN')">
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ fieldset > legend        { font-size      : 1.2rem !important; }
 	</script>
 	
 
-	<script th:if="${sysconf.readonly}">	
+	<script th:if="${sysconf.readonly} or ${isImportRunning}">	
 		function call_http_post($http, url, obj, onSuccess) {
 			alert("Method not permitted in READ-ONLY mode !")
 		}
@@ -254,7 +253,7 @@ fieldset > legend        { font-size      : 1.2rem !important; }
 	</script>	
 
 	
-	<script th:if="${!sysconf.readonly}">	
+	<script th:if="${!sysconf.readonly} and ${!isImportRunning}">	
 		function call_http_post($http, url, obj, onSuccess) {
 			showSpinner();
 			$http.defaults.headers.post["Content-Type"] = "application/json;charset=UTF-8";