diff --git a/editor/js/main.js b/editor/js/main.js
index f97374b0e..b900fd28f 100644
--- a/editor/js/main.js
+++ b/editor/js/main.js
@@ -214,6 +214,18 @@
                                 }
                             ]
                         }
+                    } else if (msg.error === "missing_package_file") {
+                        if (RED.user.hasPermission("projects.write")) {
+                            options.buttons = [
+                                {
+                                    text: "Create default package file",
+                                    click: function() {
+                                        persistentNotifications[notificationId].hideNotification();
+                                        RED.projects.createDefaultPackageFile();
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            ]
+                        }
                     } else if (msg.error === "project_empty") {
                         if (RED.user.hasPermission("projects.write")) {
                             options.buttons = [
diff --git a/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js b/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js
index 022799ca9..d7c2787d8 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js
@@ -2251,6 +2251,43 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
         createProjectOptions = {};
         show('default-files',{existingProject: true});
     }
+    function createDefaultPackageFile() {
+        RED.deploy.setDeployInflight(true);
+        RED.projects.settings.switchProject(activeProject.name);
+
+        var method = "PUT";
+        var url = "projects/"+activeProject.name;
+        var createProjectOptions = {
+            initialise: true
+        };
+        sendRequest({
+            url: url,
+            type: method,
+            requireCleanWorkspace: true,
+            handleAuthFail: false,
+            responses: {
+                200: function(data) { },
+                400: {
+                    'git_error': function(error) {
+                        console.log("git error",error);
+                    },
+                    'missing_flow_file': function(error) {
+                        // This is a natural next error - but let the runtime event
+                        // trigger the dialog rather than double-report it.
+                        $( dialog ).dialog( "close" );
+                    },
+                    '*': function(error) {
+                        reportUnexpectedError(error);
+                        $( dialog ).dialog( "close" );
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        },createProjectOptions).always(function() {
+            setTimeout(function() {
+                RED.deploy.setDeployInflight(false);
+            },500);
+        })
+    }
 
     function refresh(done) {
         $.getJSON("projects",function(data) {
@@ -2330,6 +2367,7 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
             RED.projects.settings.show('deps');
         },
         createDefaultFileSet: createDefaultFileSet,
+        createDefaultPackageFile: createDefaultPackageFile,
         // showSidebar: showSidebar,
         refresh: refresh,
         editProject: function() {
diff --git a/red/api/editor/locales/en-US/editor.json b/red/api/editor/locales/en-US/editor.json
index 189dbaba7..ed74b8232 100644
--- a/red/api/editor/locales/en-US/editor.json
+++ b/red/api/editor/locales/en-US/editor.json
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@
             "credentials_load_failed": "<p>Flows stopped as the credentials could not be decrypted.</p><p>The flow credential file is encrypted, but the project's encryption key is missing or invalid.</p>",
             "credentials_load_failed_reset":"<p>Credentials could not be decrypted</p><p>The flow credential file is encrypted, but the project's encryption key is missing or invalid.</p><p>The flow credential file will be reset on the next deployment. Any existing flow credentials will be cleared.</p>",
             "missing_flow_file": "<p>Project flow file not found.</p><p>The project is not configured with a flow file.</p>",
+            "missing_package_file": "<p>Project package file not found.</p><p>The project is missing a package.json file.</p>",
             "project_empty": "<p>The project is empty.</p><p>Do you want to create a default set of project files?<br/>Otherwise, you will have to manually add files to the project outside of the editor.</p>",
             "project_not_found": "<p>Project '__project__' not found.</p>",
             "git_merge_conflict": "<p>Automatic merging of changes failed.</p><p>Fix the unmerged conflicts then commit the results.</p>"
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
index aa2693001..72682c25c 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
@@ -81,9 +81,7 @@ Project.prototype.load = function () {
 
     var promises = [];
     return checkProjectFiles(project).then(function(missingFiles) {
-        if (missingFiles.length > 0) {
-            project.missingFiles = missingFiles;
-        }
+        project.missingFiles = missingFiles;
         if (missingFiles.indexOf('package.json') === -1) {
             project.paths['package.json'] = fspath.join(project.path,"package.json");
             promises.push(fs.readFile(project.paths['package.json'],"utf8").then(function(content) {
@@ -135,9 +133,9 @@ Project.prototype.load = function () {
 
 Project.prototype.initialise = function(user,data) {
     var project = this;
-    if (!this.empty) {
-        throw new Error("Cannot initialise non-empty project");
-    }
+    // if (!this.empty) {
+    //     throw new Error("Cannot initialise non-empty project");
+    // }
     var files = Object.keys(defaultFileSet);
     var promises = [];
 
@@ -148,17 +146,25 @@ Project.prototype.initialise = function(user,data) {
         promises.push(settings.set('projects',projects));
     }
 
-    project.files.flow = data.files.flow;
-    project.files.credentials = data.files.credentials;
-    var flowFilePath = fspath.join(project.path,project.files.flow);
-    var credsFilePath = getCredentialsFilename(flowFilePath);
-    promises.push(util.writeFile(flowFilePath,"[]"));
-    promises.push(util.writeFile(credsFilePath,"{}"));
-    files.push(project.files.flow);
-    files.push(project.files.credentials);
+    if (data.hasOwnProperty('files')) {
+        if (data.files.hasOwnProperty('flow') && data.files.hasOwnProperty('credentials')) {
+            project.files.flow = data.files.flow;
+            project.files.credentials = data.files.credentials;
+            var flowFilePath = fspath.join(project.path,project.files.flow);
+            var credsFilePath = getCredentialsFilename(flowFilePath);
+            promises.push(util.writeFile(flowFilePath,"[]"));
+            promises.push(util.writeFile(credsFilePath,"{}"));
+            files.push(project.files.flow);
+            files.push(project.files.credentials);
+        }
+    }
     for (var file in defaultFileSet) {
         if (defaultFileSet.hasOwnProperty(file)) {
-            promises.push(util.writeFile(fspath.join(project.path,file),defaultFileSet[file](project)));
+            var path = fspath.join(project.path,file);
+            if (!fs.existsSync(path)) {
+                promises.push(util.writeFile(path,defaultFileSet[file](project)));
+            }
+
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
index 7c24845ab..4c7539260 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
@@ -479,6 +479,12 @@ function getFlows() {
             error.code = "project_empty";
             return when.reject(error);
         }
+        if (activeProject.missingFiles && activeProject.missingFiles.indexOf('package.json') !== -1) {
+            log.warn("Project missing package.json");
+            error = new Error("Project missing package.json");
+            error.code = "missing_package_file";
+            return when.reject(error);
+        }
         if (!activeProject.getFlowFile()) {
             log.warn("Project has no flow file");
             error = new Error("Project has no flow file");