diff --git a/platformio/builder/main.py b/platformio/builder/main.py
index 245a0f98..2fbd0b37 100644
--- a/platformio/builder/main.py
+++ b/platformio/builder/main.py
@@ -224,10 +224,11 @@ if "idedata" in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
         Import("projenv")
     except:  # pylint: disable=bare-except
         projenv = env
-    click.echo(
-        "\n%s\n"
-        % json.dumps(projenv.DumpIDEData(env))  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
-    )
+    data = projenv.DumpIDEData(env)
+    # dump to file for the further reading by project.helpers.load_project_ide_data
+    with open(projenv.subst(os.path.join("$BUILD_DIR", "idedata.json")), "w") as fp:
+        json.dump(data, fp)
+    click.echo("\n%s\n" % json.dumps(data))  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
     env.Exit(0)
 
 if "sizedata" in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
diff --git a/platformio/project/config.py b/platformio/project/config.py
index 6c5aa7b1..dd75f701 100644
--- a/platformio/project/config.py
+++ b/platformio/project/config.py
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ class ProjectConfigDirsMixin(object):
         if result is None:
             return None
 
-        project_dir = os.getcwd()
+        project_dir = os.path.dirname(self.path)
 
         # patterns
         if "$PROJECT_HASH" in result:
diff --git a/platformio/project/helpers.py b/platformio/project/helpers.py
index ec8af4a2..7519e34a 100644
--- a/platformio/project/helpers.py
+++ b/platformio/project/helpers.py
@@ -135,17 +135,29 @@ def compute_project_checksum(config):
     return checksum.hexdigest()
 
 
-def load_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_or_envs):
+def load_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_or_envs, cache=False):
+    assert env_or_envs
+    env_names = env_or_envs
+    if not isinstance(env_names, list):
+        env_names = [env_names]
+
+    result = _load_cached_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_names) if cache else {}
+    missed_env_names = set(env_names) - set(result.keys())
+    if missed_env_names:
+        result.update(_load_project_ide_data(project_dir, missed_env_names))
+
+    if not isinstance(env_or_envs, list) and env_or_envs in result:
+        return result[env_or_envs]
+    return result or None
+
+
+def _load_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_names):
     # pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
     from platformio.commands.run.command import cli as cmd_run
 
-    assert env_or_envs
-    envs = env_or_envs
-    if not isinstance(envs, list):
-        envs = [envs]
     args = ["--project-dir", project_dir, "--target", "idedata"]
-    for env in envs:
-        args.extend(["-e", env])
+    for name in env_names:
+        args.extend(["-e", name])
     result = CliRunner().invoke(cmd_run, args)
     if result.exit_code != 0 and not isinstance(
         result.exception, exception.ReturnErrorCode
@@ -153,14 +165,17 @@ def load_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_or_envs):
         raise result.exception
     if '"includes":' not in result.output:
         raise exception.PlatformioException(result.output)
+    return _load_cached_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_names)
 
-    data = {}
-    for line in result.output.split("\n"):
-        line = line.strip()
-        if line.startswith('{"') and line.endswith("}") and "env_name" in line:
-            _data = json.loads(line)
-            if "env_name" in _data:
-                data[_data["env_name"]] = _data
-    if not isinstance(env_or_envs, list) and env_or_envs in data:
-        return data[env_or_envs]
-    return data or None
+
+def _load_cached_project_ide_data(project_dir, env_names):
+    build_dir = ProjectConfig.get_instance(
+        join(project_dir, "platformio.ini")
+    ).get_optional_dir("build")
+    result = {}
+    for name in env_names:
+        if not os.path.isfile(os.path.join(build_dir, name, "idedata.json")):
+            continue
+        with open(os.path.join(build_dir, name, "idedata.json")) as fp:
+            result[name] = json.load(fp)
+    return result