diff --git a/tools/archive-manager/main.go b/tools/archive-manager/main.go
index ae0ae9e..940c92d 100644
--- a/tools/archive-manager/main.go
+++ b/tools/archive-manager/main.go
@@ -5,13 +5,18 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"os/signal"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/internal/config"
@@ -34,13 +39,56 @@ func parseDate(in string) int64 {
 	return 0
 }
 
-// countJobs counts the total number of jobs in the source archive.
-func countJobs(srcBackend archive.ArchiveBackend) int {
-	count := 0
-	for range srcBackend.Iter(false) {
-		count++
+// countJobs counts the total number of jobs in the source archive using external fd command.
+// It requires the fd binary to be available in PATH.
+// The srcConfig parameter should be the JSON configuration string containing the archive path.
+func countJobs(srcConfig string) (int, error) {
+	fdPath, err := exec.LookPath("fd")
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("fd binary not found in PATH: %w", err)
 	}
-	return count
+
+	var config struct {
+		Kind string `json:"kind"`
+		Path string `json:"path"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(srcConfig), &config); err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse source config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if config.Path == "" {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("no path found in source config")
+	}
+
+	fdCmd := exec.Command(fdPath, "meta.json", config.Path)
+	wcCmd := exec.Command("wc", "-l")
+
+	pipe, err := fdCmd.StdoutPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to create pipe: %w", err)
+	}
+	wcCmd.Stdin = pipe
+
+	if err := fdCmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to start fd command: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	output, err := wcCmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to run wc command: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := fdCmd.Wait(); err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("fd command failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	countStr := strings.TrimSpace(string(output))
+	count, err := strconv.Atoi(countStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse count from wc output '%s': %w", countStr, err)
+	}
+
+	return count, nil
 }
 
 // formatDuration formats a duration as a human-readable string.
@@ -137,12 +185,34 @@ func (p *progressMeter) stop() {
 
 // importArchive imports all jobs from a source archive backend to a destination archive backend.
 // It uses parallel processing with a worker pool to improve performance.
+// The import can be interrupted by CTRL-C (SIGINT) and will terminate gracefully.
 // Returns the number of successfully imported jobs, failed jobs, and any error encountered.
-func importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend archive.ArchiveBackend) (int, int, error) {
+func importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend archive.ArchiveBackend, srcConfig string) (int, int, error) {
 	cclog.Info("Starting parallel archive import...")
+	cclog.Info("Press CTRL-C to interrupt (will finish current jobs before exiting)")
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	sigChan := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(sigChan, os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
+
+	var interrupted atomic.Bool
+
+	go func() {
+		<-sigChan
+		cclog.Warn("Interrupt received, stopping import (finishing current jobs)...")
+		interrupted.Store(true)
+		cancel()
+		// Stop listening for further signals to allow force quit with second CTRL-C
+		signal.Stop(sigChan)
+	}()
 
 	cclog.Info("Counting jobs in source archive (this may take a long time) ...")
-	totalJobs := countJobs(srcBackend)
+	totalJobs, err := countJobs(srcConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to count jobs: %w", err)
+	}
 	cclog.Infof("Found %d jobs to process", totalJobs)
 
 	progress := newProgressMeter(totalJobs)
@@ -200,8 +270,14 @@ func importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend archive.ArchiveBackend) (int, int, err
 	}
 
 	go func() {
+		defer close(jobs)
+
 		clusters := srcBackend.GetClusters()
 		for _, clusterName := range clusters {
+			if ctx.Err() != nil {
+				return
+			}
+
 			clusterCfg, err := srcBackend.LoadClusterCfg(clusterName)
 			if err != nil {
 				cclog.Errorf("Failed to load cluster config for %s: %v", clusterName, err)
@@ -216,9 +292,14 @@ func importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend archive.ArchiveBackend) (int, int, err
 		}
 
 		for job := range srcBackend.Iter(true) {
-			jobs <- job
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				// Drain remaining items from iterator to avoid resource leak
+				// but don't process them
+				return
+			case jobs <- job:
+			}
 		}
-		close(jobs)
 	}()
 
 	wg.Wait()
@@ -229,6 +310,13 @@ func importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend archive.ArchiveBackend) (int, int, err
 	finalSkipped := int(atomic.LoadInt32(&progress.skipped))
 
 	elapsed := time.Since(progress.startTime)
+
+	if interrupted.Load() {
+		cclog.Warnf("Import interrupted after %s: %d jobs imported, %d skipped, %d failed",
+			formatDuration(elapsed), finalImported, finalSkipped, finalFailed)
+		return finalImported, finalFailed, fmt.Errorf("import interrupted by user")
+	}
+
 	cclog.Infof("Import completed in %s: %d jobs imported, %d skipped, %d failed",
 		formatDuration(elapsed), finalImported, finalSkipped, finalFailed)
 
@@ -284,7 +372,7 @@ func main() {
 		cclog.Info("Destination backend initialized successfully")
 
 		// Perform import
-		imported, failed, err := importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend)
+		imported, failed, err := importArchive(srcBackend, dstBackend, flagSrcConfig)
 		if err != nil {
 			cclog.Errorf("Import completed with errors: %s", err.Error())
 			if failed > 0 {