Index: lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/IImportService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r96393fcda711611ec39dbc961ab6431b1f16bb4e -r37f6755a9242e00ef1216aa86dc147efaeb02f75
--- lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/IImportService.java	(.../IImportService.java)	(revision 96393fcda711611ec39dbc961ab6431b1f16bb4e)
+++ lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/IImportService.java	(.../IImportService.java)	(revision 37f6755a9242e00ef1216aa86dc147efaeb02f75)
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 	public static final String STATUS_IMPORTED = "imported";
 	public static final String IMPORT_FILE = "file";
 	public static final String IMPORT_RESULTS = "results";
+	public static final int THRESHOLD = 500;
 	
 	/**
 	 * Returns true if spreadsheet contains user data.
@@ -88,6 +89,14 @@
 	public List<List> parseV1UsersFile(FormFile fileItem, boolean includeIntegrated) throws IOException;
 	
 	/**
+	 * Returns number of rows found in spreadsheet.
+	 * @param fileItem
+	 * @return
+	 * @throws IOException
+	 */
+	public int getNumRows(FormFile fileItem) throws IOException;
+	
+	/**
 	 * Returns message results from parsing list of users in spreadsheet.
 	 * @param file
 	 * @return
Index: lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/ImportService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r96393fcda711611ec39dbc961ab6431b1f16bb4e -r37f6755a9242e00ef1216aa86dc147efaeb02f75
--- lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/ImportService.java	(.../ImportService.java)	(revision 96393fcda711611ec39dbc961ab6431b1f16bb4e)
+++ lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/ImportService.java	(.../ImportService.java)	(revision 37f6755a9242e00ef1216aa86dc147efaeb02f75)
@@ -407,6 +407,13 @@
 		return false;
 	}
 	
+	public int getNumRows(FormFile fileItem) throws IOException {
+		HSSFSheet sheet = getSheet(fileItem);
+		int startRow = sheet.getFirstRowNum();
+		int endRow = sheet.getLastRowNum();
+		return endRow - startRow;
+	}
+	
 	public List parseUserSpreadsheet(FormFile fileItem, String sessionId) throws IOException {
 		results = new ArrayList<ArrayList>();
 		HSSFSheet sheet = getSheet(fileItem);
@@ -435,19 +442,20 @@
 			if (hasError) {
 				log.debug("hasError: "+hasError);
 				results.add(rowResult);
+				updateImportStatus(sessionId, results.size());
 				continue;
 			} else {
 				try {
 					service.save(user);
 					writeAuditLog(user, userDTO);
 					log.debug("saved user: "+user.getUserId());
-					updateImportStatus(sessionId, results.size()+1);
 				} catch (Exception e) {
 					log.debug(e);
 					rowResult.add(messageService.getMessage("error.fail.add"));
 				}
 				log.debug("rowResult size: "+rowResult.size());
 				results.add(rowResult);
+				updateImportStatus(sessionId, results.size());
 			}
 		}
 		log.debug("found "+results.size()+" users in spreadsheet.");
Index: lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/web/ImportExcelSaveAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r96393fcda711611ec39dbc961ab6431b1f16bb4e -r37f6755a9242e00ef1216aa86dc147efaeb02f75
--- lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/web/ImportExcelSaveAction.java	(.../ImportExcelSaveAction.java)	(revision 96393fcda711611ec39dbc961ab6431b1f16bb4e)
+++ lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/web/ImportExcelSaveAction.java	(.../ImportExcelSaveAction.java)	(revision 37f6755a9242e00ef1216aa86dc147efaeb02f75)
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
  * @struts:action-forward name="sysadmin" path="/sysadminstart.do"
  * @struts:action-forward name="import" path="/importexcel.do"
  * @struts:action-forward name="status" path="/import/status.jsp"
+ * @struts:action-forward name="results" path="/importuserresult.do"
  */
 public class ImportExcelSaveAction extends Action {
 	
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@
 			return mapping.findForward("sysadmin");
 		}
 		
+		IImportService importService = AdminServiceProxy.getImportService(getServlet().getServletContext());
 		ImportExcelForm importExcelForm = (ImportExcelForm)form;
 		FormFile file = importExcelForm.getFile();
 		
@@ -70,12 +72,18 @@
 			return mapping.findForward("import");
 		}
 		
-		SessionManager.getSession().setAttribute(IImportService.IMPORT_FILE, file);
 		String sessionId = (String)SessionManager.getSession().getId();
-		Thread t = new Thread(new ImportExcelThread(sessionId));
-		t.start();
-		
-		return mapping.findForward("status");
+		SessionManager.getSession().setAttribute(IImportService.IMPORT_FILE, file);
+		// use a new thread only if number of users is > threshold
+		if (importService.getNumRows(file) < IImportService.THRESHOLD) {
+			List results = importService.parseSpreadsheet(file, sessionId);
+			SessionManager.getSession(sessionId).setAttribute(IImportService.IMPORT_RESULTS, results);
+			return mapping.findForward("results");
+		} else {		
+			Thread t = new Thread(new ImportExcelThread(sessionId));
+			t.start();
+			return mapping.findForward("status");
+		}
 	}