diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_vty.c b/bgpd/bgp_vty.c
index 35f6902320a8..f246e3e4be47 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_vty.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_vty.c
@@ -10564,7 +10564,7 @@ DEFPY(bgp_imexport_vrf, bgp_imexport_vrf_cmd,
 		SET_FLAG(bgp_default->flags, BGP_FLAG_INSTANCE_HIDDEN);
 	}
 
-	vrf_bgp = bgp_lookup_by_name(import_name);
+	vrf_bgp = bgp_lookup_by_name_filter(import_name, false);
 	if (!vrf_bgp) {
 		if (strcmp(import_name, VRF_DEFAULT_NAME) == 0) {
 			vrf_bgp = bgp_default;
diff --git a/bgpd/bgpd.c b/bgpd/bgpd.c
index 1ba6dc06e81a..0d1b952bf78c 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgpd.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgpd.c
@@ -3634,7 +3634,7 @@ struct bgp *bgp_lookup(as_t as, const char *name)
 }
 
 /* Lookup BGP structure by view name. */
-static struct bgp *bgp_lookup_by_name_filter(const char *name, bool filter_auto)
+struct bgp *bgp_lookup_by_name_filter(const char *name, bool filter_auto)
 {
 	struct bgp *bgp;
 	struct listnode *node, *nnode;
diff --git a/bgpd/bgpd.h b/bgpd/bgpd.h
index e477f36be15b..2ed88cf44987 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgpd.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgpd.h
@@ -2284,6 +2284,7 @@ extern void bgp_zclient_reset(void);
 extern struct bgp *bgp_get_default(void);
 extern struct bgp *bgp_lookup(as_t, const char *);
 extern struct bgp *bgp_lookup_by_name(const char *);
+extern struct bgp *bgp_lookup_by_name_filter(const char *name, bool filter_auto);
 extern struct bgp *bgp_lookup_by_vrf_id(vrf_id_t);
 extern struct bgp *bgp_get_evpn(void);
 extern void bgp_set_evpn(struct bgp *bgp);