diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js
index 24137b448..f4631c5e8 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js
@@ -231,22 +231,24 @@ var localfilesystem = {
         globalSettingsFile = fspath.join(settings.userDir,".config.json");
 
         var packageFile = fspath.join(settings.userDir,"package.json");
-
+        var packagePromise = when.resolve();
         if (!settings.readOnly) {
             promises.push(promiseDir(libFlowsDir));
-            try {
-                fs.statSync(packageFile);
-            } catch(err) {
-                var defaultPackage = {
-                    "name": "node-red-project",
-                    "description": "A Node-RED Project",
-                    "version": "0.0.1"
-                };
-                promises.push(writeFile(packageFile,JSON.stringify(defaultPackage,"",4)));
+            packagePromise = function() {
+                try {
+                    fs.statSync(packageFile);
+                } catch(err) {
+                    var defaultPackage = {
+                        "name": "node-red-project",
+                        "description": "A Node-RED Project",
+                        "version": "0.0.1"
+                    };
+                    return writeFile(packageFile,JSON.stringify(defaultPackage,"",4));
+                }
+                return true;
             }
         }
-
-        return when.all(promises);
+        return when.all(promises).then(packagePromise);
     },
 
     getFlows: function() {