diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/54095-import_tasks-fix_no_task.yml b/changelogs/fragments/54095-import_tasks-fix_no_task.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..37f49ddbc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/54095-import_tasks-fix_no_task.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+- Raise error when no task file is provided to import_tasks (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/54095).
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py
index 59c77a8ef1..53c48afd7b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/task_include.py
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ class TaskInclude(Task):
 
         if not task.args.get('_raw_params'):
             task.args['_raw_params'] = task.args.pop('file', None)
+            if not task.args['_raw_params']:
+                raise AnsibleParserError('No file specified for %s' % task.action)
 
         apply_attrs = task.args.get('apply', {})
         if apply_attrs and task.action != 'include_tasks':
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml b/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml
index 7b769139c6..ebe2273e89 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/include_import/tasks/test_include_tasks.yml
@@ -42,13 +42,3 @@
 
     - name: include_tasks + action
       action: include_tasks tasks1.yml
-
-    - name: test fail as expected without file
-      include_tasks:
-      ignore_errors: yes
-      register: res
-
-    - name: verify fail as expected without file
-      assert:
-        that:
-          - res.msg == 'No include file was specified to the include'
diff --git a/test/units/playbook/test_included_file.py b/test/units/playbook/test_included_file.py
index d73415c698..511f3169e6 100644
--- a/test/units/playbook/test_included_file.py
+++ b/test/units/playbook/test_included_file.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ from ansible.playbook.task_include import TaskInclude
 from ansible.executor import task_result
 
 from ansible.playbook.included_file import IncludedFile
+from ansible.errors import AnsibleParserError
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -167,3 +168,24 @@ def test_process_include_simulate_free(mock_iterator, mock_variable_manager):
 
     assert res[0]._vars == {}
     assert res[1]._vars == {}
+
+
+def test_empty_raw_params():
+    parent_task_ds = {'debug': 'msg=foo'}
+    parent_task = Task.load(parent_task_ds)
+    parent_task._play = None
+
+    task_ds_list = [
+        {
+            'include': ''
+        },
+        {
+            'include_tasks': ''
+        },
+        {
+            'import_tasks': ''
+        }
+    ]
+    for task_ds in task_ds_list:
+        with pytest.raises(AnsibleParserError):
+            TaskInclude.load(task_ds, task_include=parent_task)