diff --git a/spec/app/project-spec.coffee b/spec/app/project-spec.coffee
index c53b33c70..8407459be 100644
--- a/spec/app/project-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/project-spec.coffee
@@ -73,3 +73,9 @@ describe "Project", ->
         project.setPath(require.resolve('fixtures/dir/a-dir'))
         expect(project.getPath()).toEqual require.resolve('fixtures/dir/a-dir')
         expect(project.getRootDirectory().path).toEqual require.resolve('fixtures/dir/a-dir')
+
+    describe "when path is null", ->
+      it "sets its path and root directory to null", ->
+        project.setPath(null)
+        expect(project.getPath()).toBeNull()
+        expect(project.getRootDirectory()).toBeNull()
diff --git a/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee b/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
index a79ddbf14..b6cd762b0 100644
--- a/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe "RootView", ->
 
         it "constructs the view with the same panes", ->
           rootView = new RootView(viewState)
-          expect(rootView.project.path).toBeUndefined()
+          expect(rootView.project.path).toBeNull()
           expect(rootView.editors().length).toBe 2
           expect(rootView.activeEditor().buffer.getText()).toBe buffer.getText()
           expect(document.title).toBe 'untitled'
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ describe "RootView", ->
 
     it "creates a project if there isn't one yet and the buffer was previously unsaved", ->
       rootView = new RootView
-      expect(rootView.project.path).toBeUndefined()
+      expect(rootView.project.path).toBeNull()
       rootView.activeEditor().buffer.saveAs('/tmp/ignore-me')
       expect(rootView.project.path).toBe '/tmp'
 
diff --git a/src/app/project.coffee b/src/app/project.coffee
index e54db5516..0eb226331 100644
--- a/src/app/project.coffee
+++ b/src/app/project.coffee
@@ -18,9 +18,14 @@ class Project
     @path
 
   setPath: (path) ->
-    @path = if fs.isDirectory(path) then path else fs.directory(path)
     @rootDirectory.off() if @rootDirectory
-    @rootDirectory = new Directory(@path)
+
+    if path?
+      @path = if fs.isDirectory(path) then path else fs.directory(path)
+      @rootDirectory = new Directory(@path)
+    else
+      @path = null
+      @rootDirectory = null
 
   getRootDirectory: ->
     @rootDirectory
diff --git a/src/app/root-view.coffee b/src/app/root-view.coffee
index 652bba5ff..8b6a29d77 100644
--- a/src/app/root-view.coffee
+++ b/src/app/root-view.coffee
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class RootView extends View
         @activeEditor().focus()
         false
       else
-        @setTitle(@project?.path)
+        @setTitle(@project?.getPath())
 
     @on 'active-editor-path-change', (e, path) =>
       @project.setPath(path) unless @project.getPath()
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class RootView extends View
     rootPane?.adjustDimensions()
 
   toggleFileFinder: ->
-    return unless @project.path?
+    return unless @project.getPath()?
 
     if @fileFinder and @fileFinder.parent()[0]
       @fileFinder.remove()