diff --git a/data/core/commands/core.lua b/data/core/commands/core.lua
index 74de14c2..26b356d2 100644
--- a/data/core/commands/core.lua
+++ b/data/core/commands/core.lua
@@ -91,13 +91,15 @@ command.add(nil, {
       core.command_view:set_text(common.home_encode(view.doc.filename))
     end
     core.command_view:enter("Open File", function(text)
-      local filename = core.working_dir_absolute_path(common.home_expand(text))
+      local filename = common.normalize_path(core.working_dir_absolute_path(common.home_expand(text)))
       local info = system.get_file_info(filename)
       if info and info.type == "dir" then
         core.add_project_directory(filename)
+        core.set_recent_open("dir", filename)
         core.reschedule_project_scan()
       else
         core.add_project_file(filename)
+        core.set_recent_open("file", filename)
         core.root_view:open_doc(core.open_doc(filename))
       end
     end, function (text)
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ command.add(nil, {
     end
   end,
 
-  ["core:change-project-folder"] = function()
+--[[  ["core:change-project-folder"] = function()
     core.command_view:enter("Change Project Folder", function(text, item)
       text = system.absolute_path(common.home_expand(item and item.text or text))
       if text == core.working_dir then return end
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ command.add(nil, {
       end
       system.exec(string.format("%q %q", EXEFILE, text))
     end, suggest_directory)
-  end,
+  end,]]
 
   ["core:add-directory"] = function()
     core.command_view:enter("Add Directory", function(text, item)
diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index c479122a..f91f4dac 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ local common = require "core.common"
 local config = require "core.config"
 local style = require "core.style"
 local command
+local project
 local keymap
 local RootView
 local StatusView
@@ -17,41 +18,52 @@ local core = {}
 local function load_session()
   local ok, t = pcall(dofile, USERDIR .. "/session.lua")
   if ok then
-    return t.recents, t.window
+    return t.recent_projects, t.recents_open, t.window
   end
-  return {}
+  return {}, {dir={}, file={}}
 end
 
 
 local function save_session()
   local fp = io.open(USERDIR .. "/session.lua", "w")
   if fp then
-    fp:write("return {recents=", common.serialize(core.recent_projects),
-      ", window=", common.serialize(table.pack(system.get_window_size())),
-      "}\n")
+    fp:write(string.format(
+      "return { recent_projects= %s, recents_open= %s, window= %s}\n",
+      common.serialize(core.recent_projects),
+      common.serialize(core.recents_open),
+      common.serialize(table.pack(system.get_window_size()))
+    ))
     fp:close()
   end
 end
 
 
-local function update_recents_project(action, dir_path_abs)
-  local dirname = common.normalize_path(dir_path_abs)
-  if not dirname then return end
-  local recents = core.recent_projects
+local function update_recents(recents, action, name)
   local n = #recents
   for i = 1, n do
-    if dirname == recents[i] then
+    if name == recents[i] then
       table.remove(recents, i)
       break
     end
   end
   if action == "add" then
-    table.insert(recents, 1, dirname)
+    table.insert(recents, 1, name)
   end
 end
 
 
-local function cleanup_recent_projects()
+function core.set_recent_project(name)
+  update_recents(core.recent_projects, "add", name)
+end
+
+
+function core.set_recent_open(type, filename)
+  update_recents(core.recents_open[type], "add", filename)
+end
+
+
+-- FIXME: remove or adapt
+--[[ local function cleanup_recent_projects()
   local recents = core.recent_projects
   local i = 1
   while i <= #recents do
@@ -62,7 +74,7 @@ local function cleanup_recent_projects()
       i = i + 1
     end
   end
-end
+end ]]
 
 
 function core.reschedule_project_scan()
@@ -72,11 +84,14 @@ function core.reschedule_project_scan()
 end
 
 
-function core.open_folder_project(dir_path_abs)
+function core.new_project_from_directory(dir_path_abs)
   core.root_view:close_all_docviews()
   core.project_entries = {}
   core.add_project_directory(dir_path_abs)
-  update_recents_project("add", dir_path_abs)
+  system.chdir(dir_path_abs)
+  core.working_dir = dir_path_abs
+  core.set_recent_open("dir", dir_path_abs)
+  core.reschedule_project_scan()
 end
 
 
@@ -384,6 +399,7 @@ end
 function core.init()
   command = require "core.command"
   keymap = require "core.keymap"
+  project = require "core.project"
   RootView = require "core.rootview"
   StatusView = require "core.statusview"
   TitleView = require "core.titleview"
@@ -399,17 +415,19 @@ function core.init()
   end
 
   do
-    local recent_projects, window_position = load_session()
+    -- FIXME: change the name for "recents_open"
+    local window_position
+    core.recent_projects, core.recents_open, window_position = load_session()
     if window_position then
       system.set_window_size(table.unpack(window_position))
     end
-    core.recent_projects = recent_projects
   end
-  cleanup_recent_projects()
+  -- cleanup_recent_projects()
 
   core.log_items = {}
   core.docs = {}
   core.project_entries = {}
+  core.project_name = ""
 
   local init_files = {}
   local delayed_errors = {}
@@ -426,7 +444,8 @@ function core.init()
       filename = system.absolute_path(filename)
       if filename then
         core.add_project_directory(filename)
-        update_recents_project("add", filename)
+        -- FIXME
+        -- update_recents(core.recents_open.dir, "add", filename)
       end
     else
       local error_msg = string.format("error: invalid file or directory \"%s\"", ARGS[i])
@@ -434,16 +453,6 @@ function core.init()
     end
   end
 
-  local init_message
-  if #core.project_entries == 0 then
-    if #core.recent_projects > 0 then
-      init_message = string.format("Opening project from directory \"%s\"", core.recent_projects[1])
-      core.add_project_directory(core.recent_projects[1])
-    else
-      init_message = string.format("Empty project: use the \"Core: Open File\" command to open a file or a directory.")
-    end
-  end
-
   core.threads = setmetatable({}, { __mode = "k" })
   core.frame_start = 0
   core.clip_rect_stack = {{ 0,0,0,0 }}
@@ -485,10 +494,6 @@ function core.init()
     core.working_dir = system.absolute_path(".")
   end
 
-  if init_message then
-    core.log(init_message)
-  end
-
   local got_user_error = not core.load_user_directory()
   local plugins_success, plugins_refuse_list = core.load_plugins()
   local got_project_error = not core.load_project_module()
@@ -530,6 +535,13 @@ function core.init()
         if item.text == "Exit" then os.exit(1) end
       end)
   end
+
+  if #core.docs == 0 then
+    local ws = core.try(project.load_workspace, USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua")
+    if not ws then
+      core.log("Empty project: use the \"Core: Open File\" command to open a file or a directory.")
+    end
+  end
 end
 
 
@@ -580,12 +592,16 @@ function core.temp_filename(ext)
       .. string.format("%06x", temp_file_counter) .. (ext or "")
 end
 
--- override to perform an operation before quitting or entering the
--- current project
-do
-  local do_nothing = function() end
-  core.on_quit_project = do_nothing
-  core.on_enter_project = do_nothing
+
+function core.on_quit_project()
+  local filename = USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua"
+  core.try(project.save_workspace, filename)
+end
+
+
+function core.on_enter_project(new_dir)
+  -- FIXME: check the logic
+  -- core.try(project.load_workspace, USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua")
 end
 
 
diff --git a/data/plugins/workspace.lua b/data/core/project.lua
similarity index 73%
rename from data/plugins/workspace.lua
rename to data/core/project.lua
index 0f00c610..72e5e755 100644
--- a/data/plugins/workspace.lua
+++ b/data/core/project.lua
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
--- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local command = require "core.command"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local DocView = require "core.docview"
 
+local project = {}
 
 local function has_no_locked_children(node)
   if node.locked then return false end
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ local function load_node(node, t)
 end
 
 
-local function save_workspace(filename)
+function project.save_workspace(filename)
   local root = get_unlocked_root(core.root_view.root_node)
   local fp = io.open(filename, "w")
   if fp then
@@ -122,21 +122,35 @@ local function save_workspace(filename)
       end
     end
     local project_entries_text = common.serialize(topdir_entries)
-    fp:write(string.format("return { working_dir = %q, documents = %s, project_entries = %s }\n", core.working_dir, node_text, project_entries_text))
+    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))
     fp:close()
   end
 end
 
 
-local function load_workspace(filename)
+function project.load(name)
+  core.project_name = name
+  local filename = common.path_join(USERDIR, "projects", name .. ".lua")
+  project.load_workspace(filename)
+  core.log("Loaded project %s.", core.project_name)
+  core.reschedule_project_scan()
+end
+
+
+function project.load_workspace(filename)
   local load = loadfile(filename)
   local workspace = load and load()
+  -- FIXME: decide, error or return a success code
+  if not workspace then error("Cannot load workspace") end
   if workspace then
     local root = get_unlocked_root(core.root_view.root_node)
     local active_view = load_node(root, workspace.documents)
     if active_view then
       core.set_active_view(active_view)
     end
+    core.project_name = workspace.project_name
     core.project_entries = {}
     for _, entry in ipairs(workspace.project_entries) do
       if entry.type == "dir" then
@@ -149,29 +163,9 @@ local function load_workspace(filename)
   end
 end
 
-
-local run = core.run
-
-function core.run(...)
-  if #core.docs == 0 then
-    core.try(load_workspace, USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua")
-
-    local on_quit_project = core.on_quit_project
-    function core.on_quit_project()
-      local filename = USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua"
-      core.try(save_workspace, filename)
-      on_quit_project()
-    end
-
-    local on_enter_project = core.on_enter_project
-    function core.on_enter_project(new_dir)
-      on_enter_project(new_dir)
-      core.try(load_workspace, USERDIR .. PATHSEP .. "workspace.lua")
-    end
-  end
-
-  core.run = run
-  return core.run(...)
+local function suggest_directory(text)
+  text = common.home_expand(text)
+  return common.home_encode_list(text == "" and core.recents_open.dir or common.dir_path_suggest(text))
 end
 
 command.add(nil, {
@@ -188,20 +182,38 @@ command.add(nil, {
       core.log("Saved project %s.", core.project_name)
     end)
   end,
+
   ["project:save"] = function()
+    if core.project_name == "" then
+      core.command_view:enter("Save Project As", function(text)
+        core.project_name = text
+      end)
+    end
     local filename = common.path_join(USERDIR, "projects", core.project_name .. ".lua")
     save_workspace(filename)
+    core.set_recent_project(core.project_name)
     core.log("Saved project %s.", core.project_name)
   end,
+
   ["project:load"] = function()
     core.command_view:enter("Load Project", function(text)
-      -- FIXME: add sanity check of project name.
-      core.project_name = text
-      local filename = common.path_join(USERDIR, "projects", text .. ".lua")
-      load_workspace(filename)
-      core.log("Loaded project %s.", core.project_name)
-      core.reschedule_project_scan()
+      project.load(text)
+      core.set_recent_project(core.project_name)
     end)
   end,
+
+  ["project:open-directory"] = function()
+    core.command_view:enter("Open Directory", function(text, item)
+      text = system.absolute_path(common.home_expand(item and item.text or text))
+      if text == core.working_dir then return end
+      local path_stat = system.get_file_info(text)
+      if not path_stat or path_stat.type ~= 'dir' then
+        core.error("Cannot open folder %q", text)
+        return
+      end
+      core.confirm_close_all(core.new_project_from_directory, text)
+    end, suggest_directory)
+  end,
 })
 
+return project