diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.cpp
index 93c7f03265b..ee9a53cb90d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ static FolderNavigationWidgetFactory *m_instance = nullptr;
 QVector<FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::RootDirectory>
     FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::m_rootDirectories;
 
+Utils::FilePath FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::m_fallbackSyncFilePath;
 
 static QWidget *createHLine()
 {
@@ -893,6 +894,8 @@ Core::NavigationView FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::createWidget()
             &FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::rootDirectoryRemoved,
             fnw,
             &FolderNavigationWidget::removeRootDirectory);
+    if (!Core::EditorManager::currentDocument() && !m_fallbackSyncFilePath.isEmpty())
+        fnw->syncWithFilePath(m_fallbackSyncFilePath);
 
     Core::NavigationView n;
     n.widget = fnw;
@@ -965,6 +968,11 @@ void FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::removeRootDirectory(const QString &id)
     emit m_instance->rootDirectoryRemoved(id);
 }
 
+void FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::setFallbackSyncFilePath(const FilePath &filePath)
+{
+    m_fallbackSyncFilePath = filePath;
+}
+
 int FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::rootIndex(const QString &id)
 {
     return Utils::indexOf(m_rootDirectories,
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.h
index b39f073b4b8..06fef602256 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/foldernavigationwidget.h
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ public:
     static void insertRootDirectory(const RootDirectory &directory);
     static void removeRootDirectory(const QString &id);
 
+    static void setFallbackSyncFilePath(const Utils::FilePath &filePath);
+
+    static const Utils::FilePath &fallbackSyncFilePath();
+
 signals:
     void rootDirectoryAdded(const RootDirectory &directory);
     void rootDirectoryRemoved(const QString &id);
@@ -87,6 +91,7 @@ private:
     void registerActions();
 
     static QVector<RootDirectory> m_rootDirectories;
+    static Utils::FilePath m_fallbackSyncFilePath;
 };
 
 class FolderNavigationWidget : public QWidget
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
index 1c7f33d6e5a..32b72b8508d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
@@ -386,6 +386,8 @@ void SessionManager::setStartupProject(Project *startupProject)
         ModeManager::activateMode(Constants::MODE_SESSION);
         ModeManager::setFocusToCurrentMode();
     }
+    FolderNavigationWidgetFactory::setFallbackSyncFilePath(
+        startupProject ? startupProject->projectFilePath().parentDir() : FilePath());
     emit m_instance->startupProjectChanged(startupProject);
 }