diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp
index 43870201dbd..7d283d39011 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp
@@ -417,13 +417,6 @@ void Project::setDocument(Core::IDocument *doc)
     QTC_ASSERT(doc, return);
     QTC_ASSERT(!d->m_document, return);
     d->m_document = doc;
-
-    if (!d->m_rootProjectNode) {
-        auto newRoot = new ProjectNode(projectDirectory());
-        newRoot->setDisplayName(displayName());
-        newRoot->addNode(new FileNode(projectFilePath(), FileType::Project, false));
-        setRootProjectNode(newRoot);
-    }
 }
 
 void Project::setRootProjectNode(ProjectNode *root)
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
index 03858db5e73..dd0c5d9afb6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace Utils { class MimeType; }
 
 namespace ProjectExplorer {
 class RunConfiguration;
-class Project;
+class SessionManager;
 
 enum class NodeType : quint16 {
     File = 1,
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ protected:
     // will add the persistent stuff
     explicit ProjectNode(const Utils::FileName &projectFilePath);
 
-    friend class Project;
+    friend class SessionManager;
 };
 
 // Documentation inside.
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
index 6efdea90190..2e87aef4ff7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
@@ -205,7 +205,14 @@ void SessionManager::updateProjectTree(Project *pro)
         return; // Project was already de-registered and is shutting down
 
     ProjectNode *const oldNode = currentPair->second;
-    ProjectNode *const newNode = pro->rootProjectNode();
+    ProjectNode *newNode = pro->rootProjectNode();
+
+    if (!newNode) {
+        // Set up generic project structure if the project does not provide any!
+        newNode = new ProjectNode(pro->projectDirectory());
+        newNode->setDisplayName(pro->displayName());
+        newNode->addNode(new FileNode(pro->projectFilePath(), FileType::Project, false));
+    }
 
     d->m_sessionNode.replaceSubtree(oldNode, newNode);
     currentPair->second = newNode;
@@ -766,6 +773,10 @@ void SessionManager::removeProjects(QList<Project *> remove)
         pro->saveSettings();
         pro->setRootProjectNode(nullptr); // Deregister project with sessionnode!
 
+        // Remove the project node:
+        Node *projectNode = nodeForProject(pro);
+        d->m_sessionNode.removeNode(projectNode);
+
         d->m_projects
                 = Utils::filtered(d->m_projects, [pro](const QPair<Project *, ProjectNode *> &pair)
         {