diff --git a/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py b/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py
index cb0832735b..a7b1f81252 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/api/routers/models.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ async def import_model(
 ) -> ImportModelResponse:
     """Add a model using its local path, repo_id, or remote URL. Model characteristics will be probed and configured automatically"""
 
-    location = location.strip()
+    location = location.strip("\"' ")
     items_to_import = {location}
     prediction_types = {x.value: x for x in SchedulerPredictionType}
     logger = ApiDependencies.invoker.services.logger
diff --git a/invokeai/backend/install/model_install_backend.py b/invokeai/backend/install/model_install_backend.py
index bd26a7aa07..9224f5c8b2 100644
--- a/invokeai/backend/install/model_install_backend.py
+++ b/invokeai/backend/install/model_install_backend.py
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class ModelInstall(object):
         if not models_installed:
             models_installed = dict()
 
-        model_path_id_or_url = str(model_path_id_or_url).strip()
+        model_path_id_or_url = str(model_path_id_or_url).strip("\"' ")
 
         # A little hack to allow nested routines to retrieve info on the requested ID
         self.current_id = model_path_id_or_url