diff --git a/bin/app/data/ApplicationSettings_template.xml b/bin/app/data/ApplicationSettings_template.xml
index c0c70aea..c6c40b5c 100644
--- a/bin/app/data/ApplicationSettings_template.xml
+++ b/bin/app/data/ApplicationSettings_template.xml
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 <!-- COLOR: int int int int - rgba e.g. 125 125 125 255 -->
 
 <config>
+	<StartupProject><!-- STRING: path to project settings xml file --></StartupProject>
+
 	<source>
 		<CompilerFlags>
 			<CompilerFlag><!-- STRING: compiler flag, including the dash e.g. -v --></CompilerFlag>
diff --git a/src/lib/Application.cpp b/src/lib/Application.cpp
index a2bb92eb..fa133d82 100644
--- a/src/lib/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/Application.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 
 std::shared_ptr<Application> Application::create(ViewFactory* viewFactory)
 {
-	ApplicationSettings::getInstance()->load("data/ApplicationSettings.xml");
+	std::shared_ptr<ApplicationSettings> settings = ApplicationSettings::getInstance();
+	settings->load("data/ApplicationSettings.xml");
 
 	std::shared_ptr<Application> ptr(new Application());
 
@@ -26,7 +27,15 @@ std::shared_ptr<Application> Application::create(ViewFactory* viewFactory)
 	ptr->m_componentManager->setup(ptr->m_mainView.get());
 	ptr->m_mainView->loadLayout();
 
-	MessageLoadProject("data/ProjectSettings.xml").dispatch();
+	std::string startupProjectFilePath = settings->getStartupProjectFilePath();
+	if (startupProjectFilePath.size())
+	{
+		MessageLoadProject(startupProjectFilePath).dispatch();
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		LOG_WARNING("No StartupProject defined in ApplicationSettings");
+	}
 
 	return ptr;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.cpp b/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.cpp
index 9a6ac0b9..7e9267ea 100644
--- a/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ ApplicationSettings::~ApplicationSettings()
 {
 }
 
+std::string ApplicationSettings::getStartupProjectFilePath() const
+{
+	return getValue<std::string>("StartupProject", "");
+}
+
 int ApplicationSettings::getCodeTabWidth() const
 {
 	return getValue<int>("code/TabWidth", 4);
diff --git a/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.h b/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.h
index 5e13107c..50659ccc 100644
--- a/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.h
+++ b/src/lib/settings/ApplicationSettings.h
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ public:
 	static std::shared_ptr<ApplicationSettings> getInstance();
 	~ApplicationSettings();
 
+	std::string getStartupProjectFilePath() const;
+
 	// code
 	int getCodeTabWidth() const;
 	void setCodeTabWidth(int codeTabWidth);
diff --git a/src/lib/utility/ConfigManager.cpp b/src/lib/utility/ConfigManager.cpp
index 01e4d150..1aba48e6 100644
--- a/src/lib/utility/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/utility/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ bool ConfigManager::getValue(const std::string& key, std::string& value) const
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		LOG_ERROR("value " + key + " is not present in config.");
+		LOG_WARNING("value " + key + " is not present in config.");
 		return false;
 	}
 }
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ bool ConfigManager::getValues(const std::string& key, std::vector<std::string>&
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		LOG_ERROR("value " + key + " is not present in config.");
+		LOG_WARNING("value " + key + " is not present in config.");
 		return false;
 	}
 }