diff --git a/Areas/User/Controllers/TripImportController.cs b/Areas/User/Controllers/TripImportController.cs
index d78027fb..fbce21a7 100644
--- a/Areas/User/Controllers/TripImportController.cs
+++ b/Areas/User/Controllers/TripImportController.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ namespace Wayfarer.Areas.User.Controllers;
 [Area("User"), Authorize, Route("User/Trip/[action]")]
 public class TripImportController : BaseController
 {
+    private const string GenericRouteReminder =
+        "Imported KML routes do not contain reliable transport information. Select a transport mode for each route where needed to enable automatic duration estimates.";
     private readonly ITripImportService _svc;
 
     public TripImportController(
@@ -37,6 +39,11 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> Import(
         {
             var result = await _svc.ImportWayfarerKmlAsync(stream, userId, mode, HttpContext.RequestAborted);
             var redirectUrl = $"/User/Trip/Edit/{result.TripId:D}";
+            if (result.IsGenericWithRoutes)
+            {
+                TempData["AlertType"] = "info";
+                TempData["AlertMessage"] = GenericRouteReminder;
+            }
             return Json(new
             {
                 status = "success",
diff --git a/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParser.cs b/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParser.cs
index dd5eabef..2820c537 100644
--- a/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParser.cs
+++ b/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParser.cs
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ private static Trip BuildTrip(
         Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
         TripId = tripId,
         UserId = userId,
-        Mode = route.Owner.Element(Kml + "name")?.Value ?? "drive",
+        Mode = string.Empty,
+        TransportProfileId = null,
         RouteGeometry = new LineString(route.Budget.Coordinates.ToArray()) { SRID = 4326 },
         EstimatedDistanceKm = null,
         EstimatedDuration = null,
diff --git a/Services/ITripImportService.cs b/Services/ITripImportService.cs
index 11d3758f..b5c88744 100644
--- a/Services/ITripImportService.cs
+++ b/Services/ITripImportService.cs
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ public sealed record TripImportNotice(
     int? AdditionalRouteCount = null);
 
 /// <summary>Bounded successful import result returned without source geometry.</summary>
-public sealed record TripImportResult(Guid TripId, IReadOnlyList<TripImportNotice> Notices)
+public sealed record TripImportResult(
+    Guid TripId,
+    IReadOnlyList<TripImportNotice> Notices,
+    bool IsGenericWithRoutes = false)
 {
     /// <summary>Supports existing internal consumers that require only the imported identity.</summary>
     public static implicit operator Guid(TripImportResult result) => result.TripId;
diff --git a/Services/TripImportService.Generic.cs b/Services/TripImportService.Generic.cs
index d453ed00..53c9250b 100644
--- a/Services/TripImportService.Generic.cs
+++ b/Services/TripImportService.Generic.cs
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ private async Task<TripImportResult> ImportGenericAsync(
             var reconciledTags = await _tagReconciler.ReconcileAsync(importedTagTokens, cancellationToken);
             foreach (var tag in reconciledTags) target.Tags.Add(tag);
             AddShadowRegion(target, userId);
-            await ResolveImportedProfilesAsync(target.Segments, cancellationToken);
             _dbContext.Trips.Add(target);
             await _dbContext.SaveChangesAsync(cancellationToken);
             _dbContext.ChangeTracker.Clear();
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ await SegmentMeasurementWriterReconciler.ReconcileTripAsync(
                 _dbContext, target.Id, allowUnavailableAutomatic: true, cancellationToken);
             if (transaction is not null) await transaction.CommitAsync(cancellationToken);
             _dbContext.ChangeTracker.Clear();
-            return new(target.Id, parsed.Notices);
+            return new(target.Id, parsed.Notices, target.Segments.Count > 0);
         }
         catch
         {
diff --git a/Services/TripImportService.cs b/Services/TripImportService.cs
index b99b2181..cf0ccd21 100644
--- a/Services/TripImportService.cs
+++ b/Services/TripImportService.cs
@@ -166,18 +166,6 @@ private async Task ValidateCompatibilityMeasurementsAsync(
         }
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Links known import modes before reconciliation while leaving unknown modes to the database compatibility trigger.</summary>
-    private async Task ResolveImportedProfilesAsync(IEnumerable<Segment> segments, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
-    {
-        var profiles = await _dbContext.Set<TransportProfile>().AsNoTracking().ToDictionaryAsync(
-            profile => profile.Key, cancellationToken);
-        foreach (var segment in segments)
-        {
-            var normalized = TransportProfile.NormalizeKey(segment.Mode);
-            segment.TransportProfileId = profiles.TryGetValue(normalized, out var profile) ? profile.Id : null;
-        }
-    }
-
     /* ---------- helpers ------------------------------------------------- */
     static Trip CreateNewShell(Trip parsed, string userId)
     {
diff --git a/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Controllers/TripImportControllerTests.cs b/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Controllers/TripImportControllerTests.cs
index ddd093b7..469c1209 100644
--- a/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Controllers/TripImportControllerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Controllers/TripImportControllerTests.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 using System.Text;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions;
 using Moq;
 using Wayfarer.Areas.User.Controllers;
@@ -18,6 +19,9 @@ namespace Wayfarer.Tests.Controllers;
 /// </summary>
 public class TripImportControllerTests : TestBase
 {
+    private const string GenericRouteReminder =
+        "Imported KML routes do not contain reliable transport information. Select a transport mode for each route where needed to enable automatic duration estimates.";
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task Import_ReturnsBadRequest_WhenFileMissing()
     {
@@ -56,6 +60,32 @@ public async Task Import_ReturnsBoundedCanonicalSuccessJson(TripImportMode mode)
         Assert.Single(Property<IReadOnlyList<TripImportNotice>>(json.Value, "notices"));
     }
 
+    /// <summary>Successful generic route imports install one informational editor reminder.</summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Import_GenericRoute_InstallsOneTimeInformationAndReturnsEditorRedirect()
+    {
+        var db = CreateDbContext();
+        var service = new TripImportService(db, NullLogger<TripImportService>.Instance);
+        var controller = BuildController(service);
+        ConfigureControllerWithUser(controller, "u1");
+        controller.TempData = new TempDataDictionary(controller.HttpContext, Mock.Of<ITempDataProvider>());
+        var file = CreateFormFile("""
+            <kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2"><Document><name>Generic</name>
+            <Placemark><name>Ella to Kandy by TRAIN</name><LineString><coordinates>80,7 81,7</coordinates></LineString></Placemark>
+            </Document></kml>
+            """);
+
+        var result = await controller.Import(file, TripImportMode.CreateNew);
+
+        var json = Assert.IsType<JsonResult>(result);
+        Assert.Equal("success", Property<string>(json.Value, "status"));
+        var tripId = Property<Guid>(json.Value, "tripId");
+        Assert.Equal($"/User/Trip/Edit/{tripId:D}", Property<string>(json.Value, "redirectUrl"));
+        Assert.Equal("info", controller.TempData["AlertType"]);
+        Assert.Equal(GenericRouteReminder, controller.TempData["AlertMessage"]);
+        Assert.Equal(2, controller.TempData.Count);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task Import_ReturnsDuplicateJson_WhenDuplicateDetected()
     {
diff --git a/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParserTests.cs b/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParserTests.cs
index c0f12ce0..e2530580 100644
--- a/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParserTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Parsers/GoogleMyMapsKmlParserTests.cs
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public void Parse_PlacemarkWithLineString_CreatesSegment()
         // Assert
         Assert.Single(trip.Segments);
         var segment = trip.Segments.First();
-        Assert.Equal("drive", segment.Mode);
+        Assert.Equal(string.Empty, segment.Mode);
         Assert.Equal(trip.Id, segment.TripId);
         Assert.Equal("user1", segment.UserId);
         Assert.IsType<LineString>(segment.RouteGeometry);
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ public void Parse_SegmentOutsideFolder_AddsToTripSegments()
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Single(trip.Segments);
-        Assert.Equal("route", trip.Segments.First().Mode);
+        Assert.Equal(string.Empty, trip.Segments.First().Mode);
     }
 
     [Fact]
diff --git a/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Services/TripImportPostgresTests.cs b/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Services/TripImportPostgresTests.cs
index 0f86d1d8..a348be20 100644
--- a/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Services/TripImportPostgresTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Wayfarer.Tests/Services/TripImportPostgresTests.cs
@@ -51,23 +51,25 @@ public async Task WayfarerV1RouteImport_ResolvesProfileAndReconcilesMeasurements
             Assert.NotNull(segment.EstimatedDuration);
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Generic route KML defaults Automatic and derives distance and duration through the known catalog profile.</summary>
+    /// <summary>Generic route titles remain descriptive text and never select a transport profile.</summary>
     [PostgresFact]
-    public async Task GenericKmlRouteImport_DefaultsAutomaticAndCalculatesKnownMode()
+    public async Task GenericKmlRouteImport_LeavesTransportUnassigned()
     {
         fixture.RequireAvailable();
         var user = await fixture.CreateUserAsync();
         await using var context = fixture.CreateContext();
         var service = new TripImportService(context, NullLogger<TripImportService>.Instance, CreateReconciler(context));
 
-        var tripId = await service.ImportWayfarerKmlAsync(ToStream(CreateGenericRouteKml("walk")), user.Id, TripImportMode.CreateNew);
+        var tripId = await service.ImportWayfarerKmlAsync(
+            ToStream(CreateGenericRouteKml("Ella to Kandy by TRAIN")), user.Id, TripImportMode.CreateNew);
         fixture.RegisterTrip(tripId);
 
         var segment = await context.Segments.AsNoTracking().SingleAsync(item => item.TripId == tripId);
+        Assert.Equal(string.Empty, segment.Mode);
+        Assert.Null(segment.TransportProfileId);
         Assert.Equal(EstimatedDurationSource.Automatic, segment.EstimatedDurationSource);
-        Assert.NotNull(segment.TransportProfileId);
         Assert.NotNull(segment.EstimatedDistanceKm);
-        Assert.NotNull(segment.EstimatedDuration);
+        Assert.Null(segment.EstimatedDuration);
     }
 
     /// <summary>Proves generic rollback clears failed state and a retry persists only final budgeted geometry and measurements.</summary>