diff --git a/python/core/auto_generated/qgsbrowsermodel.sip.in b/python/core/auto_generated/qgsbrowsermodel.sip.in
index 8b1d7f5f437..42f74409f8e 100644
--- a/python/core/auto_generated/qgsbrowsermodel.sip.in
+++ b/python/core/auto_generated/qgsbrowsermodel.sip.in
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ items for the different data providers and folders accessible to users.
 QgsBrowserModel models are not initially populated and use a deferred initialization
 approach. After constructing a QgsBrowserModel, a call must be made
 to initialize() in order to populate the model.
+
+.. note::
+
+   Since QGIS 3.10 it is recommended to use QgsBrowserGuiModel from GUI library.
+   Implementation of data items used from QgsBrowserModel should not trigger any GUI
+   operations such as opening of widgets/dialogs or showing message boxes. Such actions
+   should be implemented in a new QgsDataItemGuiProvider subclass which is used
+   by QgsBrowserGuiModel (but not by QgsBrowserModel).
 %End
 
 %TypeHeaderCode
@@ -69,6 +77,8 @@ Constructor for QgsBrowserModel, with the specified ``parent`` object.
 
     virtual QMimeData *mimeData( const QModelIndexList &indexes ) const;
 
+    virtual bool dropMimeData( const QMimeData *data, Qt::DropAction action, int row, int column, const QModelIndex &parent );
+
     virtual bool hasChildren( const QModelIndex &parent = QModelIndex() ) const;
 
     virtual bool canFetchMore( const QModelIndex &parent ) const;
diff --git a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsbrowserguimodel.sip.in b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsbrowserguimodel.sip.in
index 28cdf3f559e..faa1cf422a5 100644
--- a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsbrowserguimodel.sip.in
+++ b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsbrowserguimodel.sip.in
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ tree.
 
 QgsBrowserGuiModel is the foundation for the QGIS browser panel, and includes
 items for the different data providers and folders accessible to users.
+
+.. versionadded:: 3.10
 %End
 
 %TypeHeaderCode
@@ -41,6 +43,9 @@ Constructor for QgsBrowserGuiModel, with the specified ``parent`` object.
                        int row, int column, const QModelIndex &parent );
 
     void setMessageBar( QgsMessageBar *bar );
+%Docstring
+Sets message bar that will be passed in QgsDataItemGuiContext to data items
+%End
 
 };
 
diff --git a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.sip.in b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.sip.in
index 73cf700871b..d66aef0d49d 100644
--- a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.sip.in
+++ b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.sip.in
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ QgsGui.instance()->dataItemGuiProviderRegistry().
 %End
   public:
     QgsDataItemGuiProviderRegistry( QgsProviderGuiRegistry *providerGuiRegistry );
+%Docstring
+Initializes the registry. Do not create new instances in client code - use QgsGui.dataItemGuiProviderRegistry() instead
+%End
     ~QgsDataItemGuiProviderRegistry();
 
 
diff --git a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.sip.in b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.sip.in
index 9da034a81fb..cfb0e097ec7 100644
--- a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.sip.in
+++ b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.sip.in
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ QgsProjectStorageGuiRegistry is not usually directly created, but rather accesse
 %End
   public:
     QgsProjectStorageGuiRegistry( QgsProviderGuiRegistry *providerGuiRegistry );
+%Docstring
+Initializes the registry. Do not create new instances in client code - use QgsGui.projectStorageGuiRegistry() instead
+%End
     ~QgsProjectStorageGuiRegistry();
 
 
diff --git a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsproviderguimetadata.sip.in b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsproviderguimetadata.sip.in
index 529a6c84b5c..02ba49ad2f7 100644
--- a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsproviderguimetadata.sip.in
+++ b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsproviderguimetadata.sip.in
@@ -33,9 +33,7 @@ Constructor for provider gui metadata
 
     virtual QList<QgsDataItemGuiProvider *> dataItemGuiProviders();
 %Docstring
-Data GUI item
-
-.. seealso:: :py:func:`QgsProviderBrowserMetadata.dataItemProviders`
+Returns data item gui providers
 %End
 
     virtual void registerGui( QMainWindow *widget );
diff --git a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp
index 02b99b64797..1e11d4796cf 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp
@@ -596,6 +596,20 @@ QMimeData *QgsBrowserModel::mimeData( const QModelIndexList &indexes ) const
   return QgsMimeDataUtils::encodeUriList( lst );
 }
 
+bool QgsBrowserModel::dropMimeData( const QMimeData *data, Qt::DropAction action, int, int, const QModelIndex &parent )
+{
+  QgsDataItem *destItem = dataItem( parent );
+  if ( !destItem )
+  {
+    QgsDebugMsgLevel( QStringLiteral( "DROP PROBLEM!" ), 4 );
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  Q_NOWARN_DEPRECATED_PUSH
+  return destItem->handleDrop( data, action );
+  Q_NOWARN_DEPRECATED_POP
+}
+
 QgsDataItem *QgsBrowserModel::dataItem( const QModelIndex &idx ) const
 {
   void *v = idx.internalPointer();
diff --git a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h
index f90f78769c0..e37e9cfc79a 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsBrowserWatcher : public QFutureWatcher<QVector <QgsDataItem
  * QgsBrowserModel models are not initially populated and use a deferred initialization
  * approach. After constructing a QgsBrowserModel, a call must be made
  * to initialize() in order to populate the model.
+ *
+ * \note Since QGIS 3.10 it is recommended to use QgsBrowserGuiModel from GUI library.
+ * Implementation of data items used from QgsBrowserModel should not trigger any GUI
+ * operations such as opening of widgets/dialogs or showing message boxes. Such actions
+ * should be implemented in a new QgsDataItemGuiProvider subclass which is used
+ * by QgsBrowserGuiModel (but not by QgsBrowserModel).
  */
 class CORE_EXPORT QgsBrowserModel : public QAbstractItemModel
 {
@@ -97,6 +103,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsBrowserModel : public QAbstractItemModel
     QModelIndex parent( const QModelIndex &index ) const override;
     QStringList mimeTypes() const override;
     QMimeData *mimeData( const QModelIndexList &indexes ) const override;
+    bool dropMimeData( const QMimeData *data, Qt::DropAction action, int row, int column, const QModelIndex &parent ) override;
     bool hasChildren( const QModelIndex &parent = QModelIndex() ) const override;
     bool canFetchMore( const QModelIndex &parent ) const override;
     void fetchMore( const QModelIndex &parent ) override;
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsbrowserguimodel.h b/src/gui/qgsbrowserguimodel.h
index c4d14131c5f..1ab011d90bd 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsbrowserguimodel.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsbrowserguimodel.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ class QgsMessageBar;
  *
  * QgsBrowserGuiModel is the foundation for the QGIS browser panel, and includes
  * items for the different data providers and folders accessible to users.
+ *
+ * \since QGIS 3.10
  */
 class GUI_EXPORT QgsBrowserGuiModel : public QgsBrowserModel
 {
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsBrowserGuiModel : public QgsBrowserModel
     bool dropMimeData( const QMimeData *data, Qt::DropAction action,
                        int row, int column, const QModelIndex &parent ) override;
 
+    //! Sets message bar that will be passed in QgsDataItemGuiContext to data items
     void setMessageBar( QgsMessageBar *bar );
 
   private:
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.h b/src/gui/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.h
index d638c83a536..cd15c87155d 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsdataitemguiproviderregistry.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class QgsProviderGuiRegistry;
 class GUI_EXPORT QgsDataItemGuiProviderRegistry
 {
   public:
+    //! Initializes the registry. Do not create new instances in client code - use QgsGui::dataItemGuiProviderRegistry() instead
     QgsDataItemGuiProviderRegistry( QgsProviderGuiRegistry *providerGuiRegistry );
     ~QgsDataItemGuiProviderRegistry();
 
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.h b/src/gui/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.h
index 0c6a53f7a32..50b97578e57 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsprojectstorageguiregistry.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class QgsProviderGuiRegistry;
 class GUI_EXPORT QgsProjectStorageGuiRegistry
 {
   public:
+    //! Initializes the registry. Do not create new instances in client code - use QgsGui::projectStorageGuiRegistry() instead
     QgsProjectStorageGuiRegistry( QgsProviderGuiRegistry *providerGuiRegistry );
     ~QgsProjectStorageGuiRegistry();
 
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsproviderguimetadata.h b/src/gui/qgsproviderguimetadata.h
index ac8cfb41701..57f8727036e 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsproviderguimetadata.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsproviderguimetadata.h
@@ -45,10 +45,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsProviderGuiMetadata
 
     virtual ~QgsProviderGuiMetadata();
 
-    /**
-     * Data GUI item
-     * \see QgsProviderBrowserMetadata::dataItemProviders()
-     */
+    //! Returns data item gui providers
     virtual QList<QgsDataItemGuiProvider *> dataItemGuiProviders();
 
     //! Assigns parent to widget