diff --git a/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts b/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts
index 891c66a84..07044ae37 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export class HomePageFixture {
     await expect(this.projectSection).not.toHaveText('Loading your Projects...')
   }
 
-  createAndGoToProject = async (projectTitle = 'project-$nnn') => {
+  createAndGoToProject = async (projectTitle = 'untitled') => {
     await this.projectsLoaded()
     await this.projectButtonNew.click()
     await this.projectTextName.click()
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/native-file-menu.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/native-file-menu.spec.ts
index affb8d6ae..fbd19a0a2 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/native-file-menu.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/native-file-menu.spec.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ test.describe('Native file menu', { tag: ['@electron'] }, () => {
         const actualArgument = await cmdBar.cmdBarElement
           .getByTestId('cmd-bar-arg-value')
           .inputValue()
-        const expectedArgument = 'project-$nnn'
+        const expectedArgument = 'untitled'
         expect(actualArgument).toBe(expectedArgument)
       })
       test('File.Open project', async ({ tronApp, cmdBar, page }) => {
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/projects.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/projects.spec.ts
index efba3c04e..247d46c2a 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/projects.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/projects.spec.ts
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@ test.describe(`Project management commands`, () => {
       const commandButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Commands' })
       const commandOption = page.getByRole('option', { name: 'rename project' })
       const projectNameOption = page.getByRole('option', { name: projectName })
-      const projectRenamedName = `project-000`
+      const projectRenamedName = `untitled`
       // const projectMenuButton = page.getByTestId('project-sidebar-toggle')
       const commandContinueButton = page.getByRole('button', {
         name: 'Continue',
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ test.describe(`Project management commands`, () => {
       const commandButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Commands' })
       const commandOption = page.getByRole('option', { name: 'rename project' })
       const projectNameOption = page.getByRole('option', { name: projectName })
-      const projectRenamedName = `project-000`
+      const projectRenamedName = `untitled`
       const commandContinueButton = page.getByRole('button', {
         name: 'Continue',
       })
@@ -1139,7 +1139,7 @@ test(`Create a few projects using the default project name`, async ({
     await test.step(`Create project ${i}`, async () => {
       await homePage.expectState({
         projectCards: Array.from({ length: i }, (_, i) => ({
-          title: `project-${i.toString().padStart(3, '0')}`,
+          title: i === 0 ? 'untitled' : `untitled-${i}`,
           fileCount: 1,
         })).toReversed(),
         sortBy: 'last-modified-desc',
@@ -1323,9 +1323,9 @@ test(
     })
 
     await test.step('Check we can still create a project', async () => {
-      await createProject({ name: 'project-000', page, returnHome: true })
+      await createProject({ name: 'new-project', page, returnHome: true })
       await expect(
-        page.getByTestId('project-link').filter({ hasText: 'project-000' })
+        page.getByTestId('project-link').filter({ hasText: 'new-project' })
       ).toBeVisible()
     })
   }
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts
index 63b9dbb92..064b5fac1 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ const extrudeDefaultPlane = async (
             },
           },
           project: {
-            default_project_name: 'project-$nnn',
+            default_project_name: 'untitled',
           },
           text_editor: {
             text_wrapping: true,
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/storageStates.ts b/e2e/playwright/storageStates.ts
index f09a53002..dd9fe5918 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/storageStates.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/storageStates.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export const TEST_SETTINGS: DeepPartial<Settings> = {
     camera_projection: 'perspective',
   },
   project: {
-    default_project_name: 'project-$nnn',
+    default_project_name: 'untitled',
     directory: '',
   },
   text_editor: {
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts
index 8cd4241e0..2a331e538 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ test.describe('Testing settings', () => {
     expect(storedSettings.settings?.modeling?.mouse_controls).toBe('zoo')
     expect(storedSettings.settings?.project?.directory).toBe('')
     expect(storedSettings.settings?.project?.default_project_name).toBe(
-      'project-$nnn'
+      'untitled'
     )
   })
 
diff --git a/rust/kcl-lib/src/settings/types/mod.rs b/rust/kcl-lib/src/settings/types/mod.rs
index 4077cccc8..6abe8cc99 100644
--- a/rust/kcl-lib/src/settings/types/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/kcl-lib/src/settings/types/mod.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use validator::{Validate, ValidateRange};
 
 const DEFAULT_THEME_COLOR: f64 = 264.5;
-const DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAME_TEMPLATE: &str = "project-$nnn";
+const DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAME_TEMPLATE: &str = "untitled";
 
 /// User specific settings for the app.
 /// These live in `user.toml` in the app's configuration directory.
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ mouseControls = "KittyCAD"
 showDebugPanel = true
 
 [settings.projects]
-defaultProjectName = "project-$nnn"
+defaultProjectName = "untitled"
 
 [settings.textEditor]
 textWrapping = true
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ projectDirectory = "/Users/macinatormax/Documents/kittycad-modeling-projects""#;
                     },
                     project: ProjectSettings {
                         directory: "/Users/macinatormax/Documents/kittycad-modeling-projects".into(),
-                        default_project_name: "project-$nnn".to_string().into()
+                        default_project_name: "untitled".to_string().into()
                     },
                     command_bar: CommandBarSettings {
                         include_settings: true.into()
diff --git a/src/lib/constants.ts b/src/lib/constants.ts
index d6c3b1940..2dd583287 100644
--- a/src/lib/constants.ts
+++ b/src/lib/constants.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export const MAX_PADDING = 7
  * This is used as a template for new projects, with $nnn being replaced by an index
  * This is available for users to edit as a setting.
  */
-export const DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAME = 'project-$nnn'
+export const DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAME = 'untitled'
 export const DEFAULT_PROJECT_KCL_FILE = 'main.kcl'
 /** Name given the temporary "project" in the browser version of the app */
 export const BROWSER_PROJECT_NAME = 'browser'