diff --git a/src-tauri/Cargo.lock b/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
index eb55e8549..7a4b4f5ae 100644
--- a/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
+++ b/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
@@ -2626,6 +2626,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tower-lsp",
  "ts-rs",
  "url",
+ "urlencoding",
  "uuid",
  "validator",
  "wasm-bindgen",
@@ -6258,6 +6259,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "urlencoding"
+version = "2.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "daf8dba3b7eb870caf1ddeed7bc9d2a049f3cfdfae7cb521b087cc33ae4c49da"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "urlpattern"
 version = "0.2.0"
diff --git a/src/components/HelpMenu.tsx b/src/components/HelpMenu.tsx
index 3de0f1eb0..ebd780dbc 100644
--- a/src/components/HelpMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HelpMenu.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { createAndOpenNewProject } from 'lib/tauriFS'
 import { paths } from 'lib/paths'
 import { useAbsoluteFilePath } from 'hooks/useAbsoluteFilePath'
+import { useLspContext } from './LspProvider'
 
 const HelpMenuDivider = () => (
   <div className="h-[1px] bg-chalkboard-110 dark:bg-chalkboard-80" />
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ const HelpMenuDivider = () => (
 
 export function HelpMenu(props: React.PropsWithChildren) {
   const location = useLocation()
+  const { onProjectOpen } = useLspContext()
   const filePath = useAbsoluteFilePath()
   const isInProject = location.pathname.includes(paths.FILE)
   const navigate = useNavigate()
@@ -106,9 +108,9 @@ export function HelpMenu(props: React.PropsWithChildren) {
               },
             })
             if (isInProject) {
-              navigate('onboarding')
+              navigate(filePath + paths.ONBOARDING.INDEX)
             } else {
-              createAndOpenNewProject(navigate)
+              createAndOpenNewProject({ onProjectOpen, navigate })
             }
           }}
         >
diff --git a/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingPanes/index.ts b/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingPanes/index.ts
index 878c4a9e6..8c3d27cc1 100644
--- a/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingPanes/index.ts
+++ b/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingPanes/index.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import {
   faBugSlash,
   faCode,
   faCodeCommit,
-  faExclamationCircle,
   faSquareRootVariable,
 } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons'
 import { KclEditorMenu } from 'components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingPanes/KclEditorMenu'
diff --git a/src/components/Settings/AllSettingsFields.tsx b/src/components/Settings/AllSettingsFields.tsx
index b855a2dbb..4eaf7d04e 100644
--- a/src/components/Settings/AllSettingsFields.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Settings/AllSettingsFields.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ import { createAndOpenNewProject, getSettingsFolderPaths } from 'lib/tauriFS'
 import { paths } from 'lib/paths'
 import { useDotDotSlash } from 'hooks/useDotDotSlash'
 import { sep } from '@tauri-apps/api/path'
-import { ForwardedRef, forwardRef } from 'react'
+import { ForwardedRef, forwardRef, useEffect } from 'react'
+import { useLspContext } from 'components/LspProvider'
 
 interface AllSettingsFieldsProps {
   searchParamTab: SettingsLevel
@@ -33,9 +34,10 @@ export const AllSettingsFields = forwardRef(
   ) => {
     const location = useLocation()
     const navigate = useNavigate()
+    const { onProjectOpen } = useLspContext()
     const dotDotSlash = useDotDotSlash()
     const {
-      settings: { send, context },
+      settings: { send, context, state },
     } = useSettingsAuthContext()
 
     const projectPath =
@@ -48,19 +50,37 @@ export const AllSettingsFields = forwardRef(
           )
         : undefined
 
-    function restartOnboarding() {
+    async function restartOnboarding() {
       send({
         type: `set.app.onboardingStatus`,
         data: { level: 'user', value: '' },
       })
-
-      if (isFileSettings) {
-        navigate(dotDotSlash(1) + paths.ONBOARDING.INDEX)
-      } else {
-        createAndOpenNewProject(navigate)
-      }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * A "listener" for the XState to return to "idle" state
+     * when the user resets the onboarding, using the callback above
+     */
+    useEffect(() => {
+      async function navigateToOnboardingStart() {
+        if (
+          state.context.app.onboardingStatus.user === '' &&
+          state.matches('idle')
+        ) {
+          if (isFileSettings) {
+            // If we're in a project, first navigate to the onboarding start here
+            // so we can trigger the warning screen if necessary
+            navigate(dotDotSlash(1) + paths.ONBOARDING.INDEX)
+          } else {
+            // If we're in the global settings, create a new project and navigate
+            // to the onboarding start in that project
+            await createAndOpenNewProject({ onProjectOpen, navigate })
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      navigateToOnboardingStart()
+    }, [isFileSettings, navigate, state])
+
     return (
       <div className="relative overflow-y-auto">
         <div ref={scrollRef} className="flex flex-col gap-4 px-2">
diff --git a/src/lib/tauriFS.ts b/src/lib/tauriFS.ts
index cc79e2517..c9cf838f2 100644
--- a/src/lib/tauriFS.ts
+++ b/src/lib/tauriFS.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   listProjects,
   readAppSettingsFile,
 } from './tauri'
+import { engineCommandManager } from './singletons'
 
 export const isHidden = (fileOrDir: FileEntry) =>
   !!fileOrDir.name?.startsWith('.')
@@ -116,9 +117,23 @@ export async function getSettingsFolderPaths(projectPath?: string) {
   }
 }
 
-export async function createAndOpenNewProject(
+export async function createAndOpenNewProject({
+  onProjectOpen,
+  navigate,
+}: {
+  onProjectOpen: (
+    project: {
+      name: string | null
+      path: string | null
+    } | null,
+    file: FileEntry | null
+  ) => void
   navigate: (path: string) => void
-) {
+}) {
+  // Clear the scene and end the session.
+  engineCommandManager.endSession()
+
+  // Create a new project with the onboarding project name
   const configuration = await readAppSettingsFile()
   const projects = await listProjects(configuration)
   const nextIndex = getNextProjectIndex(ONBOARDING_PROJECT_NAME, projects)
@@ -126,6 +141,24 @@ export async function createAndOpenNewProject(
     ONBOARDING_PROJECT_NAME,
     nextIndex
   )
-  const newFile = await createNewProjectDirectory(name, bracket, configuration)
-  navigate(`${paths.FILE}/${encodeURIComponent(newFile.path)}`)
+  const newProject = await createNewProjectDirectory(
+    name,
+    bracket,
+    configuration
+  )
+
+  // Prep the LSP and navigate to the onboarding start
+  onProjectOpen(
+    {
+      name: newProject.name,
+      path: newProject.path,
+    },
+    null
+  )
+  navigate(
+    `${paths.FILE}/${encodeURIComponent(newProject.default_file)}${
+      paths.ONBOARDING.INDEX
+    }`
+  )
+  return newProject
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/Onboarding/Introduction.tsx b/src/routes/Onboarding/Introduction.tsx
index 9078f7107..7dc5ae1ca 100644
--- a/src/routes/Onboarding/Introduction.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/Onboarding/Introduction.tsx
@@ -3,22 +3,16 @@ import { onboardingPaths } from 'routes/Onboarding/paths'
 import { useSettingsAuthContext } from 'hooks/useSettingsAuthContext'
 import { Themes, getSystemTheme } from 'lib/theme'
 import { bracket } from 'lib/exampleKcl'
-import {
-  getNextProjectIndex,
-  interpolateProjectNameWithIndex,
-} from 'lib/tauriFS'
+import { createAndOpenNewProject } from 'lib/tauriFS'
 import { isTauri } from 'lib/isTauri'
-import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
-import { paths } from 'lib/paths'
+import { useNavigate, useRouteLoaderData } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { codeManager, kclManager } from 'lib/singletons'
-import { join } from '@tauri-apps/api/path'
-import {
-  APP_NAME,
-  ONBOARDING_PROJECT_NAME,
-  PROJECT_ENTRYPOINT,
-} from 'lib/constants'
-import { createNewProjectDirectory, listProjects } from 'lib/tauri'
+import { APP_NAME } from 'lib/constants'
 import { useState } from 'react'
+import { useLspContext } from 'components/LspProvider'
+import { IndexLoaderData } from 'lib/types'
+import { paths } from 'lib/paths'
+import { useFileContext } from 'hooks/useFileContext'
 
 /**
  * Show either a welcome screen or a warning screen
@@ -47,30 +41,28 @@ function OnboardingResetWarning(props: OnboardingResetWarningProps) {
         {!isTauri() ? (
           <OnboardingWarningWeb {...props} />
         ) : (
-          <OnboardingWarningDesktop />
+          <OnboardingWarningDesktop {...props} />
         )}
       </div>
     </div>
   )
 }
 
-function OnboardingWarningDesktop() {
+function OnboardingWarningDesktop(props: OnboardingResetWarningProps) {
   const navigate = useNavigate()
   const dismiss = useDismiss()
+  const loaderData = useRouteLoaderData(paths.FILE) as IndexLoaderData
+  const { context: fileContext } = useFileContext()
+  const { onProjectClose, onProjectOpen } = useLspContext()
 
-  async function createAndOpenNewProject() {
-    const projects = await listProjects()
-    const nextIndex = getNextProjectIndex(ONBOARDING_PROJECT_NAME, projects)
-    const name = interpolateProjectNameWithIndex(
-      ONBOARDING_PROJECT_NAME,
-      nextIndex
-    )
-    const newFile = await createNewProjectDirectory(name, bracket)
-    navigate(
-      `${paths.FILE}/${encodeURIComponent(
-        await join(newFile.path, PROJECT_ENTRYPOINT)
-      )}${paths.ONBOARDING.INDEX}`
+  async function onAccept() {
+    onProjectClose(
+      loaderData.file || null,
+      fileContext.project.path || null,
+      false
     )
+    await createAndOpenNewProject({ onProjectOpen, navigate })
+    props.setShouldShowWarning(false)
   }
 
   return (
@@ -88,11 +80,7 @@ function OnboardingWarningDesktop() {
       <OnboardingButtons
         className="mt-6"
         dismiss={dismiss}
-        next={() => {
-          void createAndOpenNewProject()
-          codeManager.updateCodeEditor(bracket)
-          dismiss()
-        }}
+        next={onAccept}
         nextText="Make a new project"
       />
     </>
diff --git a/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx b/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx
index a0a0e8454..ea9f12988 100644
--- a/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export const onboardingRoutes = [
 
 export function useDemoCode() {
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!editorManager.editorView) return
+    if (!editorManager.editorView || codeManager.code === bracket) return
     setTimeout(async () => {
       codeManager.updateCodeStateEditor(bracket)
       kclManager.isFirstRender = true