diff --git a/frontend/src/App.test.tsx b/frontend/src/App.test.tsx
index 56443bf..1ed7b03 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ describe("App", () => {
 	beforeEach(() => {
 		vi.resetModules();
 		vi.clearAllMocks();
+		mockedApi.getCurrentProject.mockResolvedValue(null);
 		mockedApi.getKnownProjects.mockResolvedValue([]);
 		mockedApi.getHomeDirectory.mockResolvedValue("/home/user");
 		mockedApi.listDirectoryAbsolute.mockResolvedValue([]);
@@ -71,6 +72,26 @@ describe("App", () => {
 		return render(<App />);
 	}
 
+	it("calls getCurrentProject() on mount", async () => {
+		await renderApp();
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(mockedApi.getCurrentProject).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		});
+	});
+
+	it("skips selection screen and shows workspace when server already has a project open", async () => {
+		mockedApi.getCurrentProject.mockResolvedValue("/home/user/myproject");
+
+		await renderApp();
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(
+				screen.queryByPlaceholderText(/\/path\/to\/project/i),
+			).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+		});
+	});
+
 	it("renders the selection screen when no project is open", async () => {
 		await renderApp();
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index a845471..3a3eab6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -7,12 +7,27 @@ import "./App.css";
 
 function App() {
 	const [projectPath, setProjectPath] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
+	const [isCheckingProject, setIsCheckingProject] = React.useState(true);
 	const [errorMsg, setErrorMsg] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
 	const [pathInput, setPathInput] = React.useState("");
 	const [isOpening, setIsOpening] = React.useState(false);
 	const [knownProjects, setKnownProjects] = React.useState<string[]>([]);
 	const [homeDir, setHomeDir] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
 
+	React.useEffect(() => {
+		api
+			.getCurrentProject()
+			.then((path) => {
+				if (path) {
+					setProjectPath(path);
+				}
+			})
+			.catch((error) => console.error(error))
+			.finally(() => {
+				setIsCheckingProject(false);
+			});
+	}, []);
+
 	React.useEffect(() => {
 		api
 			.getKnownProjects()
@@ -138,6 +153,10 @@ function App() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (isCheckingProject) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	return (
 		<main
 			className="container"
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/smoke.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
index 73728e9..9c3669f 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
 
 test.describe("App boot smoke test", () => {
+	test.beforeEach(async ({ request }) => {
+		// Close any project the server may have auto-opened (e.g. via CLI path
+		// argument) so we always start from the selection screen.
+		await request.delete("/api/project").catch(() => {
+			// Ignore errors when no project is open or backend is unavailable.
+		});
+	});
+
 	test("renders the project selection screen", async ({ page }) => {
 		await page.goto("/");