diff --git a/portality/scripts/anon_import.py b/portality/scripts/anon_import.py
index d754f8ae7..4924479df 100644
--- a/portality/scripts/anon_import.py
+++ b/portality/scripts/anon_import.py
@@ -19,13 +19,15 @@
 import itertools
 import json
 import shutil
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from time import sleep
 
-import elasticsearch
 import esprit
 
 from doajtest.helpers import patch_config
 from portality import dao
-from portality.core import app, es_connection, initialise_index
+from portality.core import app, es_connection
+from portality.lib import dates, es_data_mapping
 from portality.store import StoreFactory
 from portality.util import ipt_prefix
 
@@ -46,6 +48,13 @@ def es_bulk(connection, data, type=""):
         return Resp(status_code=500, text=str(e))
 
 
+@dataclass
+class IndexDetail:
+    index_type: str
+    instance_name: str
+    alias_name: str
+
+
 def do_import(config):
     # filter for the types we are going to work with
     import_types = {}
@@ -59,19 +68,21 @@ def do_import(config):
         print(("{x} from {y}".format(x=count, y=import_type)))
     print("\n")
 
-    toberemoved_index_prefixes = [
-        es_connection.indices.get(app.config['ELASTIC_SEARCH_DB_PREFIX'] + import_type)
-        for import_type in import_types.keys()
-    ]
+    toberemoved_index_prefixes = [ipt_prefix(import_type) for import_type in import_types.keys()]
     toberemoved_indexes = list(itertools.chain.from_iterable(
         dao.find_indexes_by_prefix(p) for p in toberemoved_index_prefixes
     ))
     toberemoved_index_aliases = list(dao.find_index_aliases(toberemoved_index_prefixes))
 
-    print("==Removing the following indexes==")
-    print('   {}'.format(', '.join(toberemoved_indexes)))
-    print("==Removing the following aliases==")
-    print('   {}'.format(', '.join(alias for _, alias in toberemoved_index_aliases)))
+    if toberemoved_indexes:
+        print("==Removing the following indexes==")
+        print('   {}'.format(', '.join(toberemoved_indexes)))
+        print()
+    if toberemoved_index_aliases:
+        print("==Removing the following aliases==")
+        print('   {}'.format(', '.join(alias for _, alias in toberemoved_index_aliases)))
+        print()
+
     if config.get("confirm", True):
         text = input("Continue? [y/N] ")
         if text.lower() != "y":
@@ -79,24 +90,32 @@ def do_import(config):
 
     # remove all the types that we are going to import
     for index in toberemoved_indexes:
-        try:
-            if es_connection.indices.exists(index):
-                print("Deleting index: {}".format(index))
-                es_connection.indices.delete(index)
-        except elasticsearch.exceptions.NotFoundError:
-            pass
+        if es_connection.indices.exists(index):
+            print("Deleting index: {}".format(index))
+            es_connection.indices.delete(index, ignore=[404])
 
     for index, alias in toberemoved_index_aliases:
-        try:
-            if es_connection.indices.exists_alias(index, alias):
-                print("Deleting alias: {} -> {}".format(index, alias))
-                es_connection.indices.delete_alias(index, alias)
-        except elasticsearch.exceptions.NotFoundError:
-            pass
+        if es_connection.indices.exists_alias(alias, index=index):
+            print("Deleting alias: {} -> {}".format(index, alias))
+            es_connection.indices.delete_alias(index, alias, ignore=[404])
+
+    index_details = {}
+    for import_type in import_types.keys():
+        alias_name = ipt_prefix(import_type)
+        index_details[import_type] = IndexDetail(
+            index_type=import_type,
+            instance_name=alias_name + '-{}'.format(dates.today(dates.FMT_DATE_SHORT)),
+            alias_name=alias_name
+        )
 
     # re-initialise the index (sorting out mappings, etc)
     print("==Initialising Index for Mappings==")
-    initialise_index(app, es_connection)
+    mappings = es_data_mapping.get_mappings(app)
+    for index_detail in index_details.values():
+        print("Initialising index: {}".format(index_detail.instance_name))
+        es_connection.indices.create(index=index_detail.instance_name,
+                                     body=mappings[index_detail.index_type],
+                                     request_timeout=app.config.get("ES_SOCKET_TIMEOUT", None))
 
     mainStore = StoreFactory.get("anon_data")
     tempStore = StoreFactory.tmp()
@@ -128,8 +147,9 @@ def do_import(config):
                 shutil.copyfileobj(f_in, f_out)
             tempStore.delete_file(container, filename + ".gz")
 
-            print(("Importing from {x}".format(x=filename)))
-            imported_count = esprit.tasks.bulk_load(es_connection, ipt_prefix(import_type), uncompressed_file,
+            instance_index_name = index_details[import_type].instance_name
+            print("Importing from {x} to index[{index}]".format(x=filename, index=instance_index_name))
+            imported_count = esprit.tasks.bulk_load(es_connection, instance_index_name, uncompressed_file,
                                                     limit=limit,
                                                     max_content_length=config.get("max_content_length", 100000000))
             tempStore.delete_file(container, filename)
@@ -144,6 +164,18 @@ def do_import(config):
     # once we've finished importing, clean up by deleting the entire temporary container
     tempStore.delete_container(container)
 
+    # create aliases for the indexes
+    print("\n==Creating Aliases==")
+    for index_detail in index_details.values():
+        for retry in range(5):
+            if not es_connection.indices.exists(index_detail.alias_name):
+                break
+            print(f"Old alias exists, waiting for it to be removed, alias[{index_detail.alias_name}] retry[{retry}]")
+            sleep(5)
+
+        print("Creating alias: {:<30} -> {}".format(index_detail.instance_name, index_detail.alias_name))
+        es_connection.indices.put_alias(index=index_detail.instance_name, name=index_detail.alias_name)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':