diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/builddirmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/builddirmanager.cpp
index a6281fd7151..71fccc5df8c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/builddirmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/builddirmanager.cpp
@@ -277,10 +277,6 @@ void BuildDirManager::generateProjectTree(CMakeProjectNode *root, const QList<co
     const Utils::FileName projectFile = m_buildConfiguration->target()->project()->projectFilePath();
 
     m_reader->generateProjectTree(root, allFiles);
-
-    // Make sure the top level CMakeLists.txt is always visible:
-    if (root->isEmpty())
-        root->addNode(new FileNode(projectFile, FileType::Project, false));
 }
 
 void BuildDirManager::updateCodeModel(CppTools::RawProjectParts &rpps)
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 8bba67e359c..b4113c53fdc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -221,6 +221,10 @@ CMakeBuildConfiguration::generateProjectTree(const QList<const FileNode*> &allFi
 
     auto root = new CMakeProjectNode(target()->project()->projectDirectory());
     m_buildDirManager->generateProjectTree(root, allFiles);
+    if (root->isEmpty()) {
+        delete root;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
     return root;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp
index 9ae83d71ad6..91aa189e64c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ void CMakeProject::updateProjectData(CMakeBuildConfiguration *bc)
 
     auto newRoot = bc->generateProjectTree(m_allFiles);
     if (newRoot) {
-        setRootProjectNode(newRoot);
         setDisplayName(newRoot->displayName());
+        setRootProjectNode(newRoot);
     }
 
     updateApplicationAndDeploymentTargets();
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp
index 0a3ef883805..e366d4f6ecc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp
@@ -741,6 +741,9 @@ void ServerModeReader::addFileGroups(ProjectNode *targetRoot,
 void ServerModeReader::addHeaderNodes(ProjectNode *root, const QList<FileNode *> knownHeaders,
                                       const QList<const FileNode *> &allFiles)
 {
+    if (root->isEmpty())
+        return;
+
     auto headerNode = new VirtualFolderNode(root->filePath(), Node::DefaultPriority - 5);
     headerNode->setDisplayName(tr("<Headers>"));
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/tealeafreader.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/tealeafreader.cpp
index c05b0bf9c11..e7ecd026dd4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/tealeafreader.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/tealeafreader.cpp
@@ -270,6 +270,9 @@ CMakeConfig TeaLeafReader::takeParsedConfiguration()
 
 void TeaLeafReader::generateProjectTree(CMakeProjectNode *root, const QList<const FileNode *> &allFiles)
 {
+    if (m_files.isEmpty())
+        return;
+
     root->setDisplayName(m_projectName);
 
     // Delete no longer necessary file watcher based on m_cmakeFiles: