diff --git a/buildingmotif/api/views/model.py b/buildingmotif/api/views/model.py
index 41fc930d..6131ed6d 100644
--- a/buildingmotif/api/views/model.py
+++ b/buildingmotif/api/views/model.py
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def validate_model(models_id: int) -> flask.Response:
 
     # if shape_collections is empty, model.validate will default
     # to the model's manifest
-    vaildation_context = model.validate(shape_collections)
+    vaildation_context = model.validate(shape_collections, error_on_missing_imports=False)
 
     return {
         "message": vaildation_context.report_string,