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 82c1f8d39..fa4c294e7 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
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ function createProject(user, metadata) {
 }
 function setActiveProject(user, projectName) {
     return loadProject(projectName).then(function(project) {
-        var globalProjectSettings = settings.get("projects");
+        var globalProjectSettings = settings.get("projects")||{};
         globalProjectSettings.activeProject = project.name;
         return settings.set("projects",globalProjectSettings).then(function() {
             log.info(log._("storage.localfilesystem.projects.changing-project",{project:(activeProject&&activeProject.name)||"none"}));