diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.cpp
index 4cab1e656b3..44bd83d34c8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 #include <coreplugin/modemanager.h>
 #include <coreplugin/icore.h>
 #include <coreplugin/dialogs/iwizard.h>
+#include <coreplugin/mainwindow.h>
+#include <coreplugin/filemanager.h>
 
 #include <QtCore/QFileInfo>
 #include <QtCore/QDir>
@@ -89,7 +91,13 @@ ProjectWelcomePageWidget::ProjectWelcomePageWidget(QWidget *parent) :
     connect(ui->sessTreeWidget, SIGNAL(activated(QString)), SLOT(slotSessionClicked(QString)));
     connect(ui->projTreeWidget, SIGNAL(activated(QString)), SLOT(slotProjectClicked(QString)));
     connect(ui->createNewProjectButton, SIGNAL(clicked()), SLOT(slotCreateNewProject()));
+    connect(ui->openProjectButton, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(slotOpenProject()));
     connect(ui->manageSessionsButton, SIGNAL(clicked()), SIGNAL(manageSessions()));
+
+    ui->createNewProjectButton->setIcon(
+            QIcon::fromTheme("document-new", ui->createNewProjectButton->icon()));
+    ui->openProjectButton->setIcon(
+            QIcon::fromTheme("document-open", ui->openProjectButton->icon()));
 }
 
 ProjectWelcomePageWidget::~ProjectWelcomePageWidget()
@@ -152,6 +160,22 @@ void ProjectWelcomePageWidget::activateEditMode()
         modeManager->activateMode(Core::Constants::MODE_EDIT);
 }
 
+void ProjectWelcomePageWidget::slotOpenProject()
+{
+    // ### We need a way to access the mimedatabase and differentiate
+    // between project types and other files. This is currently not possible
+
+    const QString filters = "All Files (*);;Projects(*.pro *.qmlproject)";
+    QString selectedFilters = "Projects(*.pro *.qmlproject)";
+    QStringList files =
+            Core::ICore::instance()->fileManager()->getOpenFileNames(
+                    filters, tr("Open Project"), &selectedFilters);
+
+    Core::Internal::MainWindow *mw = qobject_cast<Core::Internal::MainWindow*>
+                                     (Core::ICore::instance()->mainWindow());
+    Q_ASSERT(mw);
+    mw->openFiles(files);
+}
 
 void ProjectWelcomePageWidget::slotSessionClicked(const QString &data)
 {
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.h
index 67e4d082427..c49904de5bb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ private slots:
     void slotSessionClicked(const QString &data);
     void slotProjectClicked(const QString &data);
     void slotCreateNewProject();
+    void slotOpenProject();
 
 private:
     void activateEditMode();
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.ui b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.ui
index ca0818e9555..33c956a5432 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.ui
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectwelcomepagewidget.ui
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
             </widget>
            </item>
            <item>
-            <widget class="Utils::WelcomeModeTreeWidget" name="sessTreeWidget"/>
+            <widget class="Utils::WelcomeModeTreeWidget" name="sessTreeWidget" native="true"/>
            </item>
           </layout>
          </widget>
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
             </widget>
            </item>
            <item>
-            <widget class="Utils::WelcomeModeTreeWidget" name="projTreeWidget"/>
+            <widget class="Utils::WelcomeModeTreeWidget" name="projTreeWidget" native="true"/>
            </item>
           </layout>
          </widget>
@@ -98,7 +98,23 @@
          <number>6</number>
         </property>
         <item>
-         <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_2">
+         <widget class="QPushButton" name="manageSessionsButton">
+          <property name="minimumSize">
+           <size>
+            <width>160</width>
+            <height>36</height>
+           </size>
+          </property>
+          <property name="focusPolicy">
+           <enum>Qt::TabFocus</enum>
+          </property>
+          <property name="text">
+           <string>Manage Sessions...</string>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+        <item>
+         <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_3">
           <property name="orientation">
            <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
           </property>
@@ -111,18 +127,15 @@
          </spacer>
         </item>
         <item>
-         <widget class="QPushButton" name="manageSessionsButton">
+         <widget class="QPushButton" name="openProjectButton">
           <property name="minimumSize">
            <size>
-            <width>180</width>
-            <height>40</height>
+            <width>160</width>
+            <height>36</height>
            </size>
           </property>
-          <property name="focusPolicy">
-           <enum>Qt::TabFocus</enum>
-          </property>
           <property name="text">
-           <string>Manage Sessions...</string>
+           <string>Open Project...</string>
           </property>
          </widget>
         </item>
@@ -130,8 +143,8 @@
          <widget class="QPushButton" name="createNewProjectButton">
           <property name="minimumSize">
            <size>
-            <width>180</width>
-            <height>40</height>
+            <width>160</width>
+            <height>36</height>
            </size>
           </property>
           <property name="focusPolicy">
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.cpp
index 816408cbe61..62d262727fc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ GettingStartedWelcomePageWidget::GettingStartedWelcomePageWidget(QWidget *parent
     connect(ui->nextTipBtn, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(slotNextTip()));
     connect(ui->prevTipBtn, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(slotPrevTip()));
     connect(ui->createNewProjectButton, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(slotCreateNewProject()));
+
+    ui->createNewProjectButton->setIcon(
+            QIcon::fromTheme("document-new", ui->createNewProjectButton->icon()));
 }
 
 GettingStartedWelcomePageWidget::~GettingStartedWelcomePageWidget()
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.ui b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.ui
index 6cf9b134509..6a2155d79df 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.ui
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/gettingstartedwelcomepagewidget.ui
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
     <width>646</width>
-    <height>361</height>
+    <height>367</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -357,8 +357,8 @@
          <widget class="QPushButton" name="createNewProjectButton">
           <property name="minimumSize">
            <size>
-            <width>180</width>
-            <height>40</height>
+            <width>160</width>
+            <height>36</height>
            </size>
           </property>
           <property name="focusPolicy">