diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index 418dfc35..23752493 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@ function core.new_project_from_directory(dir_path_abs)
 end
 
 
+function core.project_workspace_name()
+  for _, dir in ipairs(core.project_entries) do
+    return dir.item.filename
+  end
+end
+
+
 local function strip_leading_path(filename)
     return filename:sub(2)
 end
@@ -304,7 +311,7 @@ local function create_user_directory()
       error("cannot create directory: \"" .. dirname_create .. "\"")
     end
   end
-  for _, modname in ipairs {'plugins', 'projects', 'colors', 'fonts'} do
+  for _, modname in ipairs {'plugins', 'projects', 'ws', 'colors', 'fonts'} do
     local subdirname = dirname_create .. '/' .. modname
     if not system.mkdir(subdirname) then
       error("cannot create directory: \"" .. subdirname .. "\"")
@@ -480,7 +487,7 @@ function core.init()
   core.log_items = {}
   core.docs = {}
   core.project_entries = {}
-  core.project_name = ""
+  -- core.project_name = ""
 
   local init_files = {}
   local delayed_errors = {}
@@ -642,8 +649,13 @@ end
 
 
 function core.on_quit_project()
-  local filename = USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua"
-  core.try(project.save_workspace, filename)
+  -- local filename = USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua"
+  -- core.try(project.save_workspace, filename)
+  if core.project_name then
+    core.try(project.save, filename)
+  else
+    core.try(project.save_unnamed)
+  end
 end
 
 
diff --git a/data/core/project.lua b/data/core/project.lua
index 3ec0367f..20ae966e 100644
--- a/data/core/project.lua
+++ b/data/core/project.lua
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ function project.save_workspace(filename)
     end
     local project_entries_text = common.serialize(topdir_entries)
     fp:write(string.format(
-      "return { project_name = %q, working_dir = %q, documents = %s, project_entries = %s }\n",
-      core.project_name, core.working_dir, node_text, project_entries_text))
+      "return { project_name = %s, working_dir = %q, documents = %s, project_entries = %s }\n",
+      core.project_name and string.format("%q", core.project_name) or "nil", core.working_dir, node_text, project_entries_text))
     fp:close()
   end
 end
@@ -146,6 +146,50 @@ function project.save(name)
   core.log("Saved project %s.", core.project_name)
 end
 
+local function workspace_files_for(basename)
+  local workspace_dir = USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "ws"
+  local info_wsdir = system.get_file_info(workspace_dir)
+  if not info_wsdir then
+    local ok, err = system.mkdir(workspace_dir)
+    if not ok then
+      error("cannot create workspace directory: \"" .. err .. "\"")
+    end
+  end
+  return coroutine.wrap(function()
+    local files = system.list_dir(workspace_dir) or {}
+    local n = #basename
+    for _, file in ipairs(files) do
+      if file:sub(1, n) == basename then
+        local id = tonumber(file:sub(n + 1):match("^-(%d+)$"))
+        if id then
+          coroutine.yield(workspace_dir .. PATHSEP .. file, id)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end)
+end
+
+local function get_workspace_filename(basename)
+  local id_list = {}
+  for filename, id in workspace_files_for(basename) do
+    id_list[id] = true
+  end
+  local id = 1
+  while id_list[id] do
+    id = id + 1
+  end
+  return common.path_join(USERDIR, "ws", basename .. "-" .. tostring(id))
+end
+
+function project.save_unnamed()
+  local name = core.project_workspace_name()
+  -- empty projects shoud return nil and we don't wave them
+  if name then
+    local filename = get_workspace_filename(name)
+    save_workspace(filename)
+  end
+end
+
 
 function project.load_workspace(filename)
   local load = loadfile(filename)