diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
index 025240755c4..d41a62c53e5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
@@ -166,9 +166,8 @@ Client *LanguageClientManager::startClient(BaseSettings *setting, ProjectExplore
     QTC_ASSERT(managerInstance, return nullptr);
     QTC_ASSERT(setting, return nullptr);
     QTC_ASSERT(setting->isValid(), return nullptr);
-    Client *client = setting->createClient();
+    Client *client = setting->createClient(project);
     QTC_ASSERT(client, return nullptr);
-    client->setCurrentProject(project);
     client->start();
     managerInstance->m_clientsForSetting[setting->m_id].append(client);
     return client;
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
index 8787a37b1a7..0745d6f1732 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
@@ -557,16 +557,22 @@ bool BaseSettings::isValid() const
 }
 
 Client *BaseSettings::createClient()
+{
+    return createClient(nullptr);
+}
+
+Client *BaseSettings::createClient(ProjectExplorer::Project *project)
 {
     if (!isValid() || !m_enabled)
         return nullptr;
-    BaseClientInterface *interface = createInterface();
+    BaseClientInterface *interface = createInterfaceWithProject(project);
     QTC_ASSERT(interface, return nullptr);
     auto *client = createClient(interface);
     client->setName(Utils::globalMacroExpander()->expand(m_name));
     client->setSupportedLanguage(m_languageFilter);
     client->setInitializationOptions(initializationOptions());
     client->setActivateDocumentAutomatically(true);
+    client->setCurrentProject(project);
     return client;
 }
 
@@ -733,10 +739,12 @@ Utils::CommandLine StdIOSettings::command() const
                               Utils::CommandLine::Raw);
 }
 
-BaseClientInterface *StdIOSettings::createInterface() const
+BaseClientInterface *StdIOSettings::createInterfaceWithProject(ProjectExplorer::Project *project) const
 {
     auto interface = new StdIOClientInterface;
     interface->setCommandLine(command());
+    if (project)
+        interface->setWorkingDirectory(project->projectDirectory().toString());
     return interface;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
index 5ee567b0718..b964fbca5d7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
@@ -96,12 +96,18 @@ public:
     virtual BaseSettings *copy() const { return new BaseSettings(*this); }
     virtual bool isValid() const;
     Client *createClient();
+    Client *createClient(ProjectExplorer::Project *project);
     virtual QVariantMap toMap() const;
     virtual void fromMap(const QVariantMap &map);
 
 protected:
+    // TODO: remove in Qt Creator 6 and rename createInterfaceWithProject back to it
     virtual BaseClientInterface *createInterface() const { return nullptr; }
     virtual Client *createClient(BaseClientInterface *interface) const;
+    virtual BaseClientInterface *createInterfaceWithProject(ProjectExplorer::Project *) const
+    {
+        return createInterface();
+    }
 
     BaseSettings(const BaseSettings &other) = default;
     BaseSettings(BaseSettings &&other) = default;
@@ -131,7 +137,7 @@ public:
     Utils::CommandLine command() const;
 
 protected:
-    BaseClientInterface *createInterface() const override;
+    BaseClientInterface *createInterfaceWithProject(ProjectExplorer::Project *project) const override;
 
     StdIOSettings(const StdIOSettings &other) = default;
     StdIOSettings(StdIOSettings &&other) = default;