diff --git a/doc/geany.txt b/doc/geany.txt
index 7739bca24c..a156871ee3 100644
--- a/doc/geany.txt
+++ b/doc/geany.txt
@@ -2542,6 +2542,8 @@ msgwin_messages_visible           Whether to show the Messages tab in the      t
                                   Messages Window
 msgwin_scribble_visible           Whether to show the Scribble tab in the      true        immediately
                                   Messages Window
+warn_on_project_close             Whether to show a warning when opening       true        immediately
+                                  a project while one is already open.
 **``terminal`` group**
 send_selection_unsafe             By default, Geany strips any trailing        false       immediately
                                   newline characters from the current
diff --git a/src/plugindata.h b/src/plugindata.h
index 6e4dc2ee6b..3b27210e75 100644
--- a/src/plugindata.h
+++ b/src/plugindata.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
  * @warning You should not test for values below 200 as previously
  * @c GEANY_API_VERSION was defined as an enum value, not a macro.
  */
-#define GEANY_API_VERSION 240
+#define GEANY_API_VERSION 241
 
 /* hack to have a different ABI when built with different GTK major versions
  * because loading plugins linked to a different one leads to crashes.
diff --git a/src/project.c b/src/project.c
index 0754b7d63d..7a19990648 100644
--- a/src/project.c
+++ b/src/project.c
@@ -661,7 +661,8 @@ gboolean project_ask_close(void)
 {
 	if (app->project != NULL)
 	{
-		if (dialogs_show_question_full(NULL, GTK_STOCK_CLOSE, GTK_STOCK_CANCEL,
+		if (!interface_prefs.warn_on_project_close ||
+			dialogs_show_question_full(NULL, GTK_STOCK_CLOSE, GTK_STOCK_CANCEL,
 			_("Do you want to close it before proceeding?"),
 			_("The '%s' project is open."), app->project->name))
 		{
diff --git a/src/ui_utils.c b/src/ui_utils.c
index 1e2906abeb..f1768cf85a 100644
--- a/src/ui_utils.c
+++ b/src/ui_utils.c
@@ -2352,6 +2352,8 @@ void ui_init_prefs(void)
 		"msgwin_messages_visible", TRUE);
 	stash_group_add_boolean(group, &interface_prefs.msgwin_scribble_visible,
 		"msgwin_scribble_visible", TRUE);
+	stash_group_add_boolean(group, &interface_prefs.warn_on_project_close,
+		"warn_on_project_close", TRUE);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ui_utils.h b/src/ui_utils.h
index a0fb3ebcec..32ae84e955 100644
--- a/src/ui_utils.h
+++ b/src/ui_utils.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ typedef struct GeanyInterfacePrefs
 	gboolean		compiler_tab_autoscroll;
 	gint			msgwin_orientation;			/**< orientation of the message window */
 	gint 			symbols_sort_mode;			/**< symbol list sorting mode */
+	/** whether to show a warning when closing a project to open a new one */
+	gboolean		warn_on_project_close;
 }
 GeanyInterfacePrefs;