diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
index 72682c25c..8ba85f768 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
@@ -53,15 +53,13 @@ function getGitUser(user) {
     }
     return null;
 }
-function Project(name) {
-    this.name = name;
-    this.path = fspath.join(projectsDir,name);
+function Project(path) {
+    this.path = path;
+    this.name = fspath.basename(path);
     this.paths = {};
     this.files = {};
     this.auth = {origin:{}};
-
     this.missingFiles = [];
-
     this.credentialSecret = null;
 }
 Project.prototype.load = function () {
@@ -70,7 +68,9 @@ Project.prototype.load = function () {
 // console.log(globalProjectSettings)
     var projectSettings = {};
     if (globalProjectSettings) {
-        projectSettings = globalProjectSettings.projects[this.name]||{};
+        if (globalProjectSettings.projects.hasOwnProperty(this.name)) {
+            projectSettings = globalProjectSettings.projects[this.name] || {};
+        }
     }
 
     this.credentialSecret = projectSettings.credentialSecret;
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ Project.prototype.getCredentialsFileBackup = function() {
     return getBackupFilename(this.getCredentialsFile());
 }
 
-Project.prototype.toJSON = function () {
+Project.prototype.export = function () {
 
     return {
         name: this.name,
@@ -786,28 +786,18 @@ function getBackupFilename(filename) {
     return fspath.join(ffDir,"."+ffName+".backup");
 }
 
-function checkProjectExists(project) {
-    var projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,project);
+function checkProjectExists(projectPath) {
     return fs.pathExists(projectPath).then(function(exists) {
         if (!exists) {
-            var e = new Error("Project not found: "+project);
+            var e = new Error("Project not found");
             e.code = "project_not_found";
-            e.project = project;
+            var name = fspath.basename(projectPath);
+            e.project = name;
             throw e;
         }
     });
 }
 
-function createProjectDirectory(project) {
-    var projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,project);
-    return fs.ensureDir(projectPath);
-}
-
-function deleteProjectDirectory(project) {
-    var projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,project);
-    return fs.remove(projectPath);
-}
-
 function createDefaultProject(user, project) {
     var projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,project.name);
     // Create a basic skeleton of a project
@@ -910,17 +900,23 @@ function createProject(user, metadata) {
     } else {
         username = user.username;
     }
+    if (!metadata.path) {
+        throw new Error("Project missing path property");
+    }
+    if (!metadata.name) {
+        throw new Error("Project missing name property");
+    }
 
     var project = metadata.name;
+    var projectPath = metadata.path;
     return new Promise(function(resolve,reject) {
-        var projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,project);
         fs.stat(projectPath, function(err,stat) {
             if (!err) {
                 var e = new Error("NLS: Project already exists");
                 e.code = "project_exists";
                 return reject(e);
             }
-            createProjectDirectory(project).then(function() {
+            fs.ensureDir(projectPath).then(function() {
                 var projects = settings.get('projects');
                 if (!projects) {
                     projects = {
@@ -957,7 +953,7 @@ function createProject(user, metadata) {
                     return createDefaultProject(user, metadata);
                 }
             }).then(function() {
-                resolve(getProject(project))
+                resolve(loadProject(projectPath))
             }).catch(function(err) {
                 fs.remove(projectPath,function() {
                     reject(err);
@@ -967,50 +963,21 @@ function createProject(user, metadata) {
     })
 }
 
-function deleteProject(user, name) {
-    return checkProjectExists(name).then(function() {
-        if (currentProject && currentProject.name === name) {
-            var e = new Error("NLS: Can't delete the active project");
-            e.code = "cannot_delete_active_project";
-            throw e;
-        }
-        else {
-            return deleteProjectDirectory(name).then(function() {
-                var projects = settings.get('projects');
-                delete projects.projects[name];
-                return settings.set('projects', projects);
-            });
-        }
-    });
-}
-
-var currentProject;
-
-function getProject(name) {
-    return checkProjectExists(name).then(function() {
-        if (currentProject && currentProject.name === name) {
-            return currentProject;
-        }
-        currentProject = new Project(name);
-        return currentProject.load();
-    });
-}
-
-function listProjects() {
-    return fs.readdir(projectsDir).then(function(fns) {
-        var dirs = [];
-        fns.sort(function(A,B) {
-            return A.toLowerCase().localeCompare(B.toLowerCase());
-        }).filter(function(fn) {
-            var fullPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,fn);
-            if (fn[0] != ".") {
-                var stats = fs.lstatSync(fullPath);
-                if (stats.isDirectory()) {
-                    dirs.push(fn);
-                }
-            }
+function deleteProject(user, projectPath) {
+    return checkProjectExists(projectPath).then(function() {
+        return fs.remove(projectPath).then(function() {
+            var name = fspath.basename(projectPath);
+            var projects = settings.get('projects');
+            delete projects.projects[name];
+            return settings.set('projects', projects);
         });
-        return dirs;
+    });
+}
+
+function loadProject(projectPath) {
+    return checkProjectExists(projectPath).then(function() {
+        var project = new Project(projectPath);
+        return project.load();
     });
 }
 
@@ -1024,9 +991,7 @@ function init(_settings, _runtime) {
 
 module.exports = {
     init: init,
-    get: getProject,
+    load: loadProject,
     create: createProject,
-    delete: deleteProject,
-    list: listProjects
-
+    delete: deleteProject
 }
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
index 4c7539260..2ae44ac91 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
@@ -127,10 +127,20 @@ function init(_settings, _runtime) {
                                 activeProject = globalSettings.projects.activeProject;
                             }
                             if (settings.flowFile) {
+                                // if flowFile is a known project name - use it
                                 if (globalSettings.projects.projects.hasOwnProperty(settings.flowFile)) {
                                     activeProject = settings.flowFile;
                                     globalSettings.projects.activeProject = settings.flowFile;
                                     saveSettings = true;
+                                } else {
+                                    // if it resolves to a dir - use it... but:
+                                    // - where to get credsecret from?
+                                    // - what if the name clashes with a known project?
+                                    
+                                    // var stat = fs.statSync(settings.flowFile);
+                                    // if (stat && stat.isDirectory()) {
+                                    //     activeProject = settings.flowFile;
+                                    // }
                                 }
                             }
                             if (!activeProject) {
@@ -148,6 +158,24 @@ function init(_settings, _runtime) {
     return Promise.resolve();
 }
 
+function listProjects() {
+    return fs.readdir(projectsDir).then(function(fns) {
+        var dirs = [];
+        fns.sort(function(A,B) {
+            return A.toLowerCase().localeCompare(B.toLowerCase());
+        }).filter(function(fn) {
+            var fullPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,fn);
+            if (fn[0] != ".") {
+                var stats = fs.lstatSync(fullPath);
+                if (stats.isDirectory()) {
+                    dirs.push(fn);
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        return dirs;
+    });
+}
+
 function getUserGitSettings(user) {
     var userSettings = settings.getUserSettings(user)||{};
     return userSettings.git;
@@ -160,7 +188,11 @@ function getBackupFilename(filename) {
 }
 
 function loadProject(name) {
-    return Projects.get(name).then(function(project) {
+    var projectPath = name;
+    if (projectPath.indexOf(fspath.sep) === -1) {
+        projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,name);
+    }
+    return Projects.load(projectPath).then(function(project) {
         activeProject = project;
         flowsFullPath = project.getFlowFile();
         flowsFileBackup = project.getFlowFileBackup();
@@ -170,26 +202,20 @@ function loadProject(name) {
     })
 }
 
-function listProjects(user) {
-    return Projects.list();
-}
-
 function getProject(user, name) {
     checkActiveProject(name);
     //return when.resolve(activeProject.info);
-    var username;
-    if (!user) {
-        username = "_";
-    } else {
-        username = user.username;
-    }
-    return Projects.get(name).then(function(project) {
-        return project.toJSON();
-    });
+    return Promise.resolve(activeProject.export());
 }
 
 function deleteProject(user, name) {
-    return Projects.delete(user, name);
+    if (activeProject && activeProject.name === name) {
+        var e = new Error("NLS: Can't delete the active project");
+        e.code = "cannot_delete_active_project";
+        throw e;
+    }
+    var projectPath = fspath.join(projectsDir,name);
+    return Projects.delete(user, projectPath);
 }
 
 function checkActiveProject(project) {
@@ -347,6 +373,7 @@ function createProject(user, metadata) {
         metadata.files.oldCredentials = credentialsFile;
         metadata.files.credentialSecret = currentEncryptionKey;
     }
+    metadata.path = fspath.join(projectsDir,metadata.name);
     return Projects.create(user, metadata).then(function(p) {
         return setActiveProject(user, p.name);
     }).then(function() {