diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
index 2f2990e08..41d769fdd 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
@@ -580,11 +580,13 @@ function saveFlows(flows, user) {
     }
     return util.writeFile(flowsFullPath, flowData, flowsFileBackup).then(() => {
         var gitSettings = getUserGitSettings(user) || {};
-        var workflowMode = (gitSettings.workflow||{}).mode || settings.editorTheme.projects.workflow.mode;
-        if (activeProject && workflowMode === 'auto') {
-            return activeProject.stageFile([flowsFullPath, credentialsFile]).then(() => {
-                return activeProject.commit(user,{message:"Update flow files"})
-            })
+        if (activeProject) {
+            var workflowMode = (gitSettings.workflow||{}).mode || settings.editorTheme.projects.workflow.mode;
+            if (workflowMode === 'auto') {
+                return activeProject.stageFile([flowsFullPath, credentialsFile]).then(() => {
+                    return activeProject.commit(user,{message:"Update flow files"})
+                })
+            }
         }
     });
 }