diff --git a/packages/core/src/instance.ts b/packages/core/src/instance.ts
index 6368c95a64c1..e51a6fefc645 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/instance.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/instance.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { LocationWatcher } from "./filesystem/location-watcher.js"
 import { Integration } from "./integration.js"
 import { Location } from "./location.js"
 import { LocationLifecycle } from "./location-lifecycle.js"
+import { LocationProject } from "./location-project.js"
 import { FileAccess } from "./file-access.js"
 import { ModelResolver } from "./model-resolver.js"
 import { Mcp } from "./mcp/index.js"
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ const nodes = [
   WorktreeStrategies.node,
   FileSystemSearch.node,
   FileSystem.node,
+  LocationProject.node,
   ShellSelect.node,
   Pty.node,
   Shell.node,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/location-lifecycle.ts b/packages/core/src/location-lifecycle.ts
index b9b825ecdb35..051a1b03d557 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/location-lifecycle.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/location-lifecycle.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
     const rpc = yield* Rpc.Service
     const project = yield* Project.Service
     const scope = yield* Effect.scope
-    yield* project.activate(location.project.id)
     const unsubscribe = yield* bus.listen((event) => {
       if (!isSessionEvent(event) || !event.location) return Effect.void
       const ref = LocationServiceMap.canonical(event.location)
diff --git a/packages/core/src/location-project.ts b/packages/core/src/location-project.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9ebfec7cd8fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/location-project.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+export * as LocationProject from "./location-project.js"
+
+import { Effect, Layer } from "effect"
+import { makeLocationNode } from "@opencode/util/effect/app-node"
+import { FileSystem } from "./filesystem.js"
+import { Location } from "./location.js"
+import { Project } from "./project.js"
+
+// Location resolves its Project without saving it. Saving it and recording activity waits for FileSystem to accept
+// the directory, so requests for a folder that no longer exists leave the Project list alone. Profiles whose
+// FileSystem does not check the host, like workerd, still save the Project.
+export const node = makeLocationNode({
+  name: "location-project",
+  layer: Layer.effectDiscard(
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const location = yield* Location.Service
+      const project = yield* Project.Service
+      yield* project.resolve(location.directory)
+      yield* project.activate(location.project.id)
+    }),
+  ),
+  deps: [Location.node, Project.node, FileSystem.node],
+})
diff --git a/packages/core/src/location.ts b/packages/core/src/location.ts
index ede1ba239d9c..bba23f9301f9 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/location.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/location.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ const layer = (ref: Ref) =>
     Service,
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const project = yield* Project.Service
-      const resolved = yield* project.resolve(ref.directory)
+      // LocationProject saves the Project once FileSystem has accepted the directory.
+      const resolved = yield* project.resolve(ref.directory, { persist: false })
       return Service.of({
         directory: ref.directory,
         workspaceID: ref.workspaceID,
diff --git a/packages/server/test/fetch.test.ts b/packages/server/test/fetch.test.ts
index 35307b96532c..822b48bd8a58 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/fetch.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/test/fetch.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { Agent } from "@opencode/schema/agent"
 import { Integration } from "@opencode/schema/integration"
 import { ServerInfo } from "@opencode/protocol/groups/server"
 import { Effect, Schedule, Schema } from "effect"
+import { Project } from "@opencode/schema/project"
 import { Session } from "@opencode/schema/session"
 import { tmpdir } from "../../core/test/fixture/tmpdir"
 import { it } from "../../core/test/lib/effect"
@@ -38,6 +39,21 @@ it.live("returns LocationNotFoundError for a missing folder and recovers once it
     const session = Schema.decodeUnknownSync(Schema.Struct({ data: Session.Info }))(
       yield* Effect.promise(() => created.json()),
     ).data
+    // Failed boots must leave the Project that session creation saved alone: recorded activity would keep the
+    // hourly sweep from archiving it while the folder is gone.
+    const activity = () =>
+      Effect.promise(() =>
+        handler(new Request("http://opencode.local/api/project")).then((response) => response.json()),
+      ).pipe(
+        Effect.map(
+          (body) =>
+            Schema.decodeUnknownSync(Schema.Array(Project.Info))(body).find(
+              (project) => project.canonical === directory,
+            )?.time.active,
+        ),
+      )
+    const active = yield* activity()
+    expect(active).toBeGreaterThan(0)
     const endpoints = [
       "/api/model",
       "/api/integration",
@@ -60,6 +76,7 @@ it.live("returns LocationNotFoundError for a missing folder and recovers once it
         message: `Location not found: ${directory}`,
       })
     }
+    expect(yield* activity()).toBe(active)
     yield* Effect.promise(() => fs.mkdir(directory))
     const recovered = yield* Effect.promise(() =>
       handler(
@@ -72,6 +89,33 @@ it.live("returns LocationNotFoundError for a missing folder and recovers once it
   }),
 )
 
+it.live("does not save a project for a missing folder", () =>
+  Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const config = yield* Effect.acquireDisposable(Effect.promise(() => tmpdir("opencode-missing-project-")))
+    const directory = path.join(config.path, "deleted")
+    const handler = yield* ServerFetch.make({ ...options, config: { directory: config.path } })
+    const status = () =>
+      Effect.promise(() =>
+        handler(
+          new Request("http://opencode.local/api/vcs/status", {
+            headers: { "x-opencode-directory": encodeURIComponent(directory) },
+          }),
+        ),
+      ).pipe(Effect.map((response) => response.status))
+    const projects = () =>
+      Effect.promise(() =>
+        handler(new Request("http://opencode.local/api/project")).then((response) => response.json()),
+      )
+
+    expect(yield* status()).toBe(404)
+    expect(yield* projects()).not.toContainEqual(expect.objectContaining({ canonical: directory }))
+
+    yield* Effect.promise(() => fs.mkdir(directory))
+    expect(yield* status()).toBe(200)
+    expect(yield* projects()).toContainEqual(expect.objectContaining({ canonical: directory }))
+  }),
+)
+
 it.live("manages a session whose directory was deleted", () =>
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     const config = yield* Effect.acquireDisposable(Effect.promise(() => tmpdir("opencode-deleted-directory-")))
diff --git a/packages/server/test/workerd.test.ts b/packages/server/test/workerd.test.ts
index ed2099473c74..89acc8275dc2 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/workerd.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/test/workerd.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { expect } from "bun:test"
+import os from "node:os"
+import path from "node:path"
 import { Effect } from "effect"
 import { makeDurableObjectStorage } from "../../core/test/fixture/durable-object-storage"
 import { it } from "../../core/test/lib/effect"
@@ -31,3 +33,33 @@ it.live("boots the workerd profile over durable object storage", () =>
     expect(body).toMatchObject({ version: "workerd-test" })
   }),
 )
+
+// The profile has no host filesystem to check, so a location whose directory is not on this host still
+// records its project.
+it.live("records the project of a location whose directory is not on the host", () =>
+  Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const handler = yield* ServerWorkerd.create({
+      storage: makeDurableObjectStorage(),
+      app: { version: "workerd-test" },
+      config: { content: "{}" },
+      models: { fetch: false },
+    })
+    const directory = path.join(os.tmpdir(), `opencode-workerd-${crypto.randomUUID()}`, "project")
+
+    const location = yield* Effect.promise(() =>
+      handler(new Request(`http://opencode.local/api/location?location[directory]=${encodeURIComponent(directory)}`)),
+    )
+    expect(location.status).toBe(200)
+    const { project } = yield* Effect.promise(() => location.json())
+    const updated = yield* Effect.promise(() =>
+      handler(
+        new Request(`http://opencode.local/api/project/${project.id}`, {
+          method: "PATCH",
+          headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+          body: JSON.stringify({ name: "Remote" }),
+        }),
+      ),
+    )
+    expect(updated.status).toBe(200)
+  }),
+)