diff --git a/src/lib/desktop.ts b/src/lib/desktop.ts
index 2befc6c72..796e75f73 100644
--- a/src/lib/desktop.ts
+++ b/src/lib/desktop.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ export async function mkdirOrNOOP(directoryPath: string): Promise<string> {
 export async function createNewProjectDirectory(
   projectName: string,
   initialCode?: string,
-  configuration?: DeepPartial<Configuration> | Error
+  configuration?: DeepPartial<Configuration> | Error,
+  initialFileName?: string
 ): Promise<Project> {
   if (!configuration) {
     configuration = await readAppSettingsFile()
@@ -126,7 +127,8 @@ export async function createNewProjectDirectory(
     }
   }
 
-  const projectFile = window.electron.path.join(projectDir, PROJECT_ENTRYPOINT)
+  const kclFileName = initialFileName || PROJECT_ENTRYPOINT
+  const projectFile = window.electron.path.join(projectDir, kclFileName)
   // When initialCode is present, we're loading existing code.  If it's not
   // present, we're creating a new project, and we want to incorporate the
   // user's settings.
diff --git a/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachine.ts b/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachine.ts
index b7582a849..7435f604e 100644
--- a/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachine.ts
+++ b/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachine.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ export const systemIOMachine = setup({
       | {
           type: SystemIOMachineEvents.deleteProject
           data: { requestedProjectName: string }
+        }
+      | {
+          type: SystemIOMachineEvents.createKCLFile
+          data: {
+            requestedProjectName: string
+            requestedFileName: string
+            requestedCode: string
+          }
         },
   },
   actions: {
@@ -116,6 +124,18 @@ export const systemIOMachine = setup({
         }
       }) => {}
     ),
+    [SystemIOMachineActors.createKCLFile]: fromPromise(
+      async ({
+        input,
+      }: {
+        input: {
+          context: SystemIOContext
+          requestedProjectName: string
+          requestedFileName: string
+          requestedCode: string
+        }
+      }) => {}
+    ),
   },
 }).createMachine({
   initial: SystemIOMachineStates.idle,
@@ -158,6 +178,9 @@ export const systemIOMachine = setup({
         [SystemIOMachineEvents.deleteProject]: {
           target: SystemIOMachineStates.deletingProject,
         },
+        [SystemIOMachineEvents.createKCLFile]: {
+          target: SystemIOMachineStates.creatingKCLFile,
+        },
       },
     },
     [SystemIOMachineStates.readingFolders]: {
@@ -234,6 +257,27 @@ export const systemIOMachine = setup({
         },
       },
     },
+    [SystemIOMachineStates.creatingKCLFile]: {
+      invoke: {
+        id: SystemIOMachineActors.createKCLFile,
+        src: SystemIOMachineActors.createKCLFile,
+        input: ({ context, event }) => {
+          assertEvent(event, SystemIOMachineEvents.createKCLFile)
+          return {
+            context,
+            requestedProjectName: event.data.requestedProjectName,
+            requestedFileName: event.data.requestedFileName,
+            requestedCode: event.data.requestedCode,
+          }
+        },
+        onDone: {
+          target: SystemIOMachineStates.idle,
+        },
+        onError: {
+          target: SystemIOMachineStates.idle,
+        },
+      },
+    },
   },
 })
 
diff --git a/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachineDesktop.ts b/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachineDesktop.ts
index a13631cc4..1f23b4fea 100644
--- a/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachineDesktop.ts
+++ b/src/machines/systemIO/systemIOMachineDesktop.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ import {
   createNewProjectDirectory,
   getProjectInfo,
   mkdirOrNOOP,
+  readAppSettingsFile,
   renameProjectDirectory,
 } from '@src/lib/desktop'
 import {
   doesProjectNameNeedInterpolated,
+  getNextFileName,
   getNextProjectIndex,
   getUniqueProjectName,
   interpolateProjectNameWithIndex,
@@ -132,5 +134,52 @@ export const systemIOMachineDesktop = systemIOMachine.provide({
         )
       }
     ),
+    [SystemIOMachineActors.createKCLFile]: fromPromise(
+      async ({
+        input,
+      }: {
+        input: {
+          context: SystemIOContext
+          requestedProjectName: string
+          requestedFileName: string
+          requestedCode: string
+        }
+      }) => {
+        const requestedProjectName = input.requestedProjectName
+        const requestedFileName = input.requestedFileName
+        const requestedCode = input.requestedCode
+        const folders = input.context.folders
+
+        let newProjectName = requestedProjectName
+
+        const needsInterpolated =
+          doesProjectNameNeedInterpolated(newProjectName)
+        if (needsInterpolated) {
+          const nextIndex = getNextProjectIndex(newProjectName, folders)
+          newProjectName = interpolateProjectNameWithIndex(
+            newProjectName,
+            nextIndex
+          )
+        }
+
+        const baseDir = window.electron.join(
+          input.context.projectDirectoryPath,
+          newProjectName
+        )
+        const { name: newFileName } = getNextFileName({
+          entryName: requestedFileName,
+          baseDir,
+        })
+        const configuration = await readAppSettingsFile()
+
+        // Create the project around the file if newProject
+        await createNewProjectDirectory(
+          newProjectName,
+          requestedCode,
+          configuration,
+          newFileName
+        )
+      }
+    ),
   },
 })
diff --git a/src/machines/systemIO/utils.ts b/src/machines/systemIO/utils.ts
index 56c609eef..23d394217 100644
--- a/src/machines/systemIO/utils.ts
+++ b/src/machines/systemIO/utils.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export enum SystemIOMachineActors {
   createProject = 'create project',
   renameProject = 'rename project',
   deleteProject = 'delete project',
+  createKCLFile = 'create kcl file',
 }
 
 export enum SystemIOMachineStates {
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ export enum SystemIOMachineStates {
   creatingProject = 'creatingProject',
   renamingProject = 'renamingProject',
   deletingProject = 'deletingProject',
+  creatingKCLFile = 'creatingKCLFile',
 }
 
 const donePrefix = 'xstate.done.actor.'
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ export enum SystemIOMachineEvents {
   createProject = 'create project',
   renameProject = 'rename project',
   deleteProject = 'delete project',
+  createKCLFile = 'create kcl file',
 }
 
 export enum SystemIOMachineActions {