diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/projects.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/projects.js
index 02dc58c58..ad505a46e 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/projects.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/projects.js
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ module.exports = {
             }
 
             if (req.body.active) {
+                opts.clearContext = req.body.hasOwnProperty('clearContext')?req.body.clearContext:true
                 runtimeAPI.projects.setActiveProject(opts).then(function() {
                     listProjects(req,res);
                 }).catch(function(err) {
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/locales/en-US/editor.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/locales/en-US/editor.json
index cbc29185d..a2e6174fa 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/locales/en-US/editor.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/locales/en-US/editor.json
@@ -1093,7 +1093,8 @@
             "not-git": "Not a git repository",
             "no-resource": "Repository not found",
             "cant-get-ssh-key-path": "Error! Can't get selected SSH key path.",
-            "unexpected_error": "unexpected_error"
+            "unexpected_error": "unexpected_error",
+            "clearContext": "Clear context when switching projects"
         },
         "delete": {
             "confirm": "Are you sure you want to delete this project?"
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/projects/projects.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/projects/projects.js
index c9143ae1c..190561e15 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/projects/projects.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/projects/projects.js
@@ -1212,6 +1212,9 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
                             }
                         }).appendTo(row);
 
+                        row = $('<div class="form-row red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-create-row red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-create-row-open"></div>').hide().appendTo(container);
+                        $('<span style="display: flex; align-items: center;"><input style="padding:0; margin: 0 5px 0 0" checked type="checkbox" id="red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-clear-context"> <label for="red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-clear-context" style="padding:0; margin: 0"> <span data-i18n="projects.create.clearContext"></span></label></span>').appendTo(row).i18n();
+
                         row = $('<div class="form-row red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-create-row red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-create-row-empty red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-create-row-clone"></div>').appendTo(container);
                         $('<label for="red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-create-project-name">'+RED._("projects.create.project-name")+'</label>').appendTo(row);
 
@@ -1501,7 +1504,8 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
                                             };
                                         }
                                     } else if (projectType === 'open') {
-                                        return switchProject(selectedProject.name,function(err,data) {
+                                        var clearContext = $("#red-ui-projects-dialog-screen-clear-context").prop("checked")
+                                        return switchProject(selectedProject.name, clearContext, function(err,data) {
                                             if (err) {
                                                 if (err.code !== 'credentials_load_failed') {
                                                     console.log(RED._("projects.create.unexpected_error"),err)
@@ -1595,7 +1599,7 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
         }
     }
 
-    function switchProject(name,done) {
+    function switchProject(name,clearContext,done) {
         RED.deploy.setDeployInflight(true);
         RED.projects.settings.switchProject(name);
         sendRequest({
@@ -1614,7 +1618,7 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
                     '*': done
                 },
             }
-        },{active:true}).then(function() {
+        },{active:true, clearContext:clearContext}).then(function() {
             dialog.dialog( "close" );
             RED.events.emit("project:change", {name:name});
         }).always(function() {
@@ -1687,7 +1691,7 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
             dialogHeight = 590 - (750 - winHeight);
         }
         $(".red-ui-projects-dialog-box").height(dialogHeight);
-        $(".red-ui-projects-dialog-project-list-inner-container").height(Math.max(500,dialogHeight) - 180);
+        $(".red-ui-projects-dialog-project-list-inner-container").height(Math.max(500,dialogHeight) - 210);
         dialog.dialog('option','title',screen.title||"");
         dialog.dialog("open");
     }
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/projects.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/projects.js
index 14d1d0ec1..aef736637 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/projects.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/projects.js
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ var api = module.exports = {
     * @param {Object} opts
     * @param {User} opts.user - the user calling the api
     * @param {String} opts.id - the id of the project to activate
+    * @param {boolean} opts.clearContext - whether to clear context
     * @param {Object} opts.req - the request to log (optional)
     * @return {Promise<Object>} - resolves when complete
     * @memberof @node-red/runtime_projects
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ var api = module.exports = {
         var currentProject = runtime.storage.projects.getActiveProject(opts.user);
         runtime.log.audit({event: "projects.set",id:opts.id}, opts.req);
         if (!currentProject || opts.id !== currentProject.name) {
-            return runtime.storage.projects.setActiveProject(opts.user, opts.id);
+            return runtime.storage.projects.setActiveProject(opts.user, opts.id, opts.clearContext);
         }
     },
 
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 c87be015b..b2b8c7052 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
@@ -377,21 +377,25 @@ function getActiveProject(user) {
     return activeProject;
 }
 
-function reloadActiveProject(action) {
+function reloadActiveProject(action, clearContext) {
     // Stop the current flows
     return runtime.nodes.stopFlows().then(function() {
-        // Reset context to remove any old values
-        return runtime.nodes.clearContext().then(function() {
-            // Load the new project flows and start them
-            return runtime.nodes.loadFlows(true).then(function() {
-                events.emit("runtime-event",{id:"project-update", payload:{ project: activeProject.name, action:action}});
-            }).catch(function(err) {
-                // We're committed to the project change now, so notify editors
-                // that it has changed.
-                events.emit("runtime-event",{id:"project-update", payload:{ project: activeProject.name, action:action}});
-                throw err;
-            });
-        })
+        if (clearContext) {
+            // Reset context to remove any old values
+            return runtime.nodes.clearContext()
+        } else {
+            return Promise.resolve()
+        }
+    }).then(function() {
+        // Load the new project flows and start them
+        return runtime.nodes.loadFlows(true).then(function() {
+            events.emit("runtime-event",{id:"project-update", payload:{ project: activeProject.name, action:action}});
+        }).catch(function(err) {
+            // We're committed to the project change now, so notify editors
+            // that it has changed.
+            events.emit("runtime-event",{id:"project-update", payload:{ project: activeProject.name, action:action}});
+            throw err;
+        });
     }).catch(function(err) {
         console.log(err.stack);
         throw err;
@@ -432,7 +436,7 @@ function createProject(user, metadata) {
         return getProject(user, metadata.name);
     })
 }
-function setActiveProject(user, projectName) {
+function setActiveProject(user, projectName, clearContext) {
     return loadProject(projectName).then(function(project) {
         var globalProjectSettings = settings.get("projects")||{};
         globalProjectSettings.activeProject = project.name;
@@ -442,7 +446,7 @@ function setActiveProject(user, projectName) {
             // console.log("Updated file targets to");
             // console.log(flowsFullPath)
             // console.log(credentialsFile)
-            return reloadActiveProject("loaded");
+            return reloadActiveProject("loaded", clearContext);
         })
     });
 }