diff --git a/src/Project.zig b/src/Project.zig
index 798ced0..1a7bd8b 100644
--- a/src/Project.zig
+++ b/src/Project.zig
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ open_time: i64,
 language_servers: std.StringHashMap(LSP),
 file_language_server: std.StringHashMap(LSP),
 tasks: std.ArrayList(Task),
+persistent: bool = false,
 
 const Self = @This();
 
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ pub fn restore_state(self: *Self, data: []const u8) !void {
         error.InvalidType => return self.restore_state_v0(data),
         else => return tp.trace(tp.channel.debug, .{ "restore_state", "unknown format", data }),
     };
+    self.persistent = true;
     return self.restore_state_v1(data);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 7ae0a2a..acf34d4 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
 
         pub const descriptions = .{
             .project = "Set project directory (default: cwd)",
+            .no_persist = "Do not persist new projects",
             .frame_rate = "Set target frame rate (default: 60)",
             .debug_wait = "Wait for key press before starting UI",
             .debug_dump_on_error = "Dump stack traces on errors",
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
 
         pub const switches = .{
             .project = 'p',
+            .no_persist = 'N',
             .frame_rate = 'f',
             .trace_level = 't',
             .language = 'l',
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
         };
 
         project: ?[]const u8,
+        no_persist: bool,
         frame_rate: ?usize,
         debug_wait: bool,
         debug_dump_on_error: bool,
@@ -202,6 +205,7 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
     log.set_std_log_pid(log_proc.ref());
     defer log.set_std_log_pid(null);
 
+    env.set("no-persist", args.no_persist);
     env.set("restore-session", args.restore_session);
     env.set("no-alternate", args.no_alternate);
     env.set("show-input", args.show_input);
diff --git a/src/project_manager.zig b/src/project_manager.zig
index 2795012..b749397 100644
--- a/src/project_manager.zig
+++ b/src/project_manager.zig
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@ const Process = struct {
     fn close(self: *Process, project_directory: []const u8) error{}!void {
         if (self.projects.fetchRemove(project_directory)) |kv| {
             self.allocator.free(kv.key);
+            self.persist_project(kv.value) catch {};
             kv.value.deinit();
             self.allocator.destroy(kv.value);
             self.logger.print("closed: {s}", .{project_directory});
@@ -629,6 +630,8 @@ const Process = struct {
     }
 
     fn persist_project(self: *Process, project: *Project) !void {
+        const no_persist = tp.env.get().is("no-persist");
+        if (no_persist and !project.persistent) return;
         tp.trace(tp.channel.debug, .{ "persist_project", project.name });
         self.logger.print("saving: {s}", .{project.name});
         const file_name = try get_project_state_file_path(self.allocator, project);