diff --git a/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts b/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts
index b3c67e827572..9fb8edddfc27 100644
--- a/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts
+++ b/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ import type { GraphQLSchema } from 'graphql'
 
 const IS_DEV_ENV = process.env.CYPRESS_INTERNAL_ENV !== 'production'
 
+export interface InternalDataContextOptions {
+  loadCachedProjects: boolean
+}
+
 export interface DataContextConfig extends DataContextShellConfig {
   schema: GraphQLSchema
   os: PlatformName
@@ -37,6 +41,10 @@ export interface DataContextConfig extends DataContextShellConfig {
   appApi: AppApiShape
   authApi: AuthApiShape
   projectApi: ProjectApiShape
+  /**
+   * Internal options used for testing purposes
+   */
+  _internalOptions: InternalDataContextOptions
 }
 
 export class DataContext extends DataContextShell {
@@ -52,12 +60,15 @@ export class DataContext extends DataContextShell {
       // Fetch the browsers when the app starts, so we have some by
       // the time we're continuing.
       this.actions.app.refreshBrowsers(),
-      // load projects from cache on start
-      this.actions.project.loadProjects(),
       // load the cached user & validate the token on start
       this.actions.auth.getUser(),
     ]
 
+    if (this._config._internalOptions.loadCachedProjects) {
+      // load projects from cache on start
+      toAwait.push(this.actions.project.loadProjects())
+    }
+
     if (this._config.launchArgs.projectRoot) {
       toAwait.push(this.actions.project.setActiveProject(this._config.launchArgs.projectRoot))
     }
diff --git a/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/e2ePluginSetup.ts b/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/e2ePluginSetup.ts
index 68ba7d6ba826..5899af61b5e7 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/e2ePluginSetup.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/e2ePluginSetup.ts
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ export async function e2ePluginSetup (projectRoot: string, on: Cypress.PluginEve
 
       return null
     },
-    setupE2E (projectName: string) {
+    scaffoldProject (projectName: string) {
       Fixtures.scaffoldProject(projectName)
 
-      return null
+      return Fixtures.projectPath(projectName)
     },
     async withCtx (obj: WithCtxObj) {
       // Ensure we spin up a completely isolated server/state for each test
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ export async function e2ePluginSetup (projectRoot: string, on: Cypress.PluginEve
         testState = {};
         ({ serverPortPromise, ctx } = runInternalServer({
           projectRoot: null,
+        }, {
+          loadCachedProjects: false,
         }) as {ctx: DataContext, serverPortPromise: Promise<number> })
 
         const fetchApi = ctx.util.fetch
diff --git a/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/support/e2eSupport.ts b/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/support/e2eSupport.ts
index f0db8375db66..4ce6733e53f2 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/support/e2eSupport.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-shared/cypress/e2e/support/e2eSupport.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ function setupE2E (projectName?: ProjectFixture) {
   }
 
   if (projectName) {
-    cy.task('setupE2E', projectName, { log: false })
+    cy.task('scaffoldProject', projectName, { log: false })
   }
 
   return cy.withCtx(async (ctx, o) => {
diff --git a/packages/launchpad/cypress/e2e/integration/open-mode.spec.ts b/packages/launchpad/cypress/e2e/integration/open-mode.spec.ts
index 204c76f3168f..31d8c362d381 100644
--- a/packages/launchpad/cypress/e2e/integration/open-mode.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/launchpad/cypress/e2e/integration/open-mode.spec.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,24 @@ describe('Launchpad: Open Mode', () => {
     cy.visitLaunchpad()
   })
 
-  it('shows the open page when testingType is not specified', () => {
+  it('shows Add Project when no projects have been added', () => {
     cy.get('h1').should('contain', defaultMessages.globalPage.empty.title)
   })
 
+  it('shows projects when projects have been added', () => {
+    cy.get('h1').should('contain', defaultMessages.globalPage.empty.title)
+  })
+
+  it('shows the projects page when a project is not specified', () => {
+    cy.task('scaffoldProject', 'todos').then((projectPath) => {
+      cy.withCtx(async (ctx, o) => {
+        ctx.actions.project.addProject({ path: o.projectPath as string, open: false })
+      }, { projectPath })
+    })
+
+    cy.contains(defaultMessages.globalPage.recentProjectsHeader)
+  })
+
   it('goes directly to e2e tests when launched with --e2e', () => {
     cy.setupE2E('todos')
 
diff --git a/packages/server/lib/makeDataContext.ts b/packages/server/lib/makeDataContext.ts
index b29dfa5e9399..fa30a83bffe5 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/makeDataContext.ts
+++ b/packages/server/lib/makeDataContext.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { openProject } from './open_project'
 import cache from './cache'
 import errors from './errors'
 import { graphqlSchema } from '@packages/graphql/src/schema'
+import type { InternalDataContextOptions } from '@packages/data-context/src/DataContext'
 
 const { getBrowsers } = browserUtils
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ interface MakeDataContextOptions {
   os: PlatformName
   rootBus: EventEmitter
   launchArgs: LaunchArgs
+  _internalOptions: InternalDataContextOptions
 }
 
 let legacyDataContext: DataContext | undefined
@@ -36,6 +38,9 @@ export function makeLegacyDataContext (launchArgs: LaunchArgs = {} as LaunchArgs
       rootBus: new EventEmitter,
       launchArgs,
       os: os.platform() as PlatformName,
+      _internalOptions: {
+        loadCachedProjects: true,
+      },
     })
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/lib/modes/internal-server.ts b/packages/server/lib/modes/internal-server.ts
index 5dee56af5aee..64c3efb5404d 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/modes/internal-server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/lib/modes/internal-server.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { makeDataContext } from '../makeDataContext'
 import { makeGraphQLServer } from '../gui/makeGraphQLServer'
 import { assertValidPlatform } from '@packages/types/src/platform'
 
-export function runInternalServer (options) {
+export function runInternalServer (launchArgs, _internalOptions = { loadCachedProjects: true }) {
   const bus = new EventEmitter()
   const platform = os.platform()
 
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ export function runInternalServer (options) {
   const ctx = makeDataContext({
     os: platform,
     rootBus: bus,
-    launchArgs: options,
+    launchArgs,
+    _internalOptions,
   })
 
   // Initializing the data context, loading browsers, etc.