diff --git a/gui/projectfile.cpp b/gui/projectfile.cpp
index 619bd8226..9cf2cc7fb 100644
--- a/gui/projectfile.cpp
+++ b/gui/projectfile.cpp
@@ -55,13 +55,17 @@ bool ProjectFile::Read(const QString &filename)
 
     QXmlStreamReader xmlReader(&file);
     bool insideProject = false;
+    bool projectTagFound = false;
     while (!xmlReader.atEnd())
     {
         switch (xmlReader.readNext())
         {
         case QXmlStreamReader::StartElement:
             if (xmlReader.name() == ProjectElementName)
+            {
                 insideProject = true;
+                projectTagFound = true;
+            }
 
             // Find include directory from inside project element
             if (insideProject && xmlReader.name() == IncludDirElementName)
@@ -93,7 +97,10 @@ bool ProjectFile::Read(const QString &filename)
     }
 
     file.close();
-    return true;
+    if (projectTagFound)
+        return true;
+    else
+        return false;
 }
 
 QStringList ProjectFile::GetIncludeDirs() const
diff --git a/gui/projectfile.h b/gui/projectfile.h
index dc58fa3e2..c5ca75685 100644
--- a/gui/projectfile.h
+++ b/gui/projectfile.h
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ public:
     */
     bool Write(const QString &filename = QString());
 
+    /**
+    * @brief Set filename for the project file.
+    * @param filename Filename to use.
+    */
+    void SetFilename(const QString &filename)
+    {
+        mFilename = filename;
+    }
+
 protected:
     /**
     * @brief Read list of include directories from XML.
diff --git a/gui/projectfiledialog.cpp b/gui/projectfiledialog.cpp
index cf896782d..92403e40a 100644
--- a/gui/projectfiledialog.cpp
+++ b/gui/projectfiledialog.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <QStringList>
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QFileDialog>
+#include <QMessageBox>
 #include "projectfiledialog.h"
 #include "projectfile.h"
 
@@ -41,7 +42,17 @@ ProjectFileDialog::ProjectFileDialog(const QString &path, QWidget *parent)
 
 void ProjectFileDialog::ReadProjectFile()
 {
-    mPFile->Read();
+    if (!mPFile->Read())
+    {
+        QMessageBox msg(QMessageBox::Critical,
+                        tr("Cppcheck"),
+                        tr("Could not read the project file."),
+                        QMessageBox::Ok,
+                        this);
+        msg.exec();
+        mFileName = QString();
+        mPFile->SetFilename(mFileName);
+    }
 
     QStringList includes = mPFile->GetIncludeDirs();
     QString includestr;
@@ -70,6 +81,7 @@ void ProjectFileDialog::DialogAccepted()
         return;
 
     UpdateProjectFileData();
+    bool writesuccess = false;
     if (mFileName.isEmpty())
     {
         const QString filter = tr("Project files (*.cppcheck);;All files(*.*)");
@@ -80,12 +92,22 @@ void ProjectFileDialog::DialogAccepted()
 
         if (!filepath.isEmpty())
         {
-            mPFile->Write(filepath);
+            writesuccess = mPFile->Write(filepath);
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        mPFile->Write();
+        writesuccess = mPFile->Write();
+    }
+
+    if (!writesuccess)
+    {
+        QMessageBox msg(QMessageBox::Critical,
+                        tr("Cppcheck"),
+                        tr("Could not write the project file."),
+                        QMessageBox::Ok,
+                        this);
+        msg.exec();
     }
     mDataSaved = true;
 }