diff --git a/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/app.py b/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/app.py
index b567f06b..d69cdc2f 100644
--- a/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/app.py
+++ b/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/app.py
@@ -64,9 +64,13 @@ class AppRPC:
             storage["projectsDir"] = storage["coreSettings"]["projects_dir"]["value"]
 
             # skip non-existing recent projects
-            storage["recentProjects"] = [
-                p for p in storage.get("recentProjects", []) if is_platformio_project(p)
-            ]
+            storage["recentProjects"] = list(
+                set(
+                    os.path.normpath(p)
+                    for p in storage.get("recentProjects", [])
+                    if is_platformio_project(p)
+                )
+            )
 
             state["storage"] = storage
             state.modified = False  # skip saving extra fields
diff --git a/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/ide.py b/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/ide.py
index ad3cf063..703f75a6 100644
--- a/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/ide.py
+++ b/platformio/commands/home/rpc/handlers/ide.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import os
 import time
 
 from ajsonrpc.core import JSONRPC20DispatchException
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ class IDERPC:
     def on_command_result(self, cmd_id, value):
         if cmd_id not in self._cmd_queue:
             return
+        if self._cmd_queue[cmd_id]["method"] == "get_pio_project_dirs":
+            value = [os.path.normpath(p) for p in value]
         self._cmd_queue[cmd_id]["future"].set_result(value)
         del self._cmd_queue[cmd_id]