diff --git a/newsfragments/773.bugfix b/newsfragments/773.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9df61b72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/773.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+``dials.import``: force tqdm output to stdout not stderr as default
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/dxtbx/model/experiment_list.py b/src/dxtbx/model/experiment_list.py
index 6f3590c5f..a2f62f4b1 100644
--- a/src/dxtbx/model/experiment_list.py
+++ b/src/dxtbx/model/experiment_list.py
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ def from_filenames(
             format_kwargs = {}
 
         if os.isatty and len(filenames) > 1:
-            filename_iter = tqdm(to_process, total=len(filenames))
+            filename_iter = tqdm(to_process, total=len(filenames), file=sys.stdout)
         else:
             filename_iter = to_process