Index: kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp
===================================================================
--- kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp
+++ kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <QSet>
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
+#include <QElapsedTimer>
 
 #include <KActionCollection>
 #include <KConfigGroup>
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@
 #include <project/projectchangesmodel.h>
 #include <project/projectmodel.h>
 #include <project/projectbuildsetmodel.h>
+#include <project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h>
 #include <projectconfigpage.h>
 #include <language/backgroundparser/parseprojectjob.h>
 #include <interfaces/iruncontroller.h>
@@ -107,6 +109,9 @@
     bool m_cleaningUp; //Temporary flag enabled while destroying the project-controller
     QPointer<ProjectChangesModel> m_changesModel;
     QHash< IProject*, QPointer<KJob> > m_parseJobs; // parse jobs that add files from the project to the background parser.
+    QList<IProject*> m_finaliseProjectImports; // project dir watchers and/or parse jobs waiting to be started
+    QHash<IProject*, QElapsedTimer*> m_timers; // TEMPORARY: project load timers
+    static QElapsedTimer m_timer; // TEMPORARY: session-wide project load timer
 
     explicit ProjectControllerPrivate( ProjectController* p )
         : m_core(nullptr), model(nullptr), dialog(nullptr), q(p), buildset(nullptr), m_foundProjectFile(false), m_cleaningUp(false)
@@ -311,6 +316,11 @@
             return;
         }
 
+        if (!m_timer.isValid()) {
+            m_timer.start();
+            qCWarning(SHELL) << "Starting project import timer";
+        }
+
         foreach( IProject* project, m_projects )
         {
             if ( url == project->projectFile().toUrl() )
@@ -329,6 +339,11 @@
         m_core->pluginControllerInternal()->loadProjectPlugins();
 
         Project* project = new Project();
+        // TEMPORARY: initialise project load timer
+        if (qEnvironmentVariableIsSet("KDEV_DONT_DEFER_PROJECT_PARSING")) {
+            m_timers[project] = new QElapsedTimer;
+            m_timers[project]->start();
+        }
         QObject::connect(project, &Project::aboutToOpen,
                          q, &ProjectController::projectAboutToBeOpened);
         if ( !project->open( Path(url) ) )
@@ -346,6 +361,8 @@
     }
 };
 
+QElapsedTimer ProjectControllerPrivate::m_timer;
+
 IProjectDialogProvider::IProjectDialogProvider()
 {}
 
@@ -897,7 +914,39 @@
     d->m_currentlyOpening.removeAll(project->projectFile().toUrl());
     emit projectOpened( project );
 
-    reparseProject(project);
+    // don't call reparseProject immediately, defer until all currently opening
+    // projects have been imported. Parsing is done in the background but
+    // importing can block the UI so should be as fast as possible.
+    // TEMPORARY: deferFinalise
+    bool deferFinalise = !qEnvironmentVariableIsSet("KDEV_DONT_DEFER_PROJECT_WATCHING_AND_PARSING");
+    if (d->m_currentlyOpening.isEmpty()) {
+        if (deferFinalise) {
+            qCInfo(SHELL) << "All projects imported in" << ProjectControllerPrivate::m_timer.restart() / 1000.0 << "seconds";
+            reparseProject(project);
+            foreach (const auto p, d->m_finaliseProjectImports) {
+                reparseProject(p);
+            }
+            qCInfo(SHELL) << "\tstarting parse jobs took an additional"
+                << ProjectControllerPrivate::m_timer.elapsed() / 1000.0 << "seconds";
+        }
+        d->m_finaliseProjectImports.clear();
+        ProjectControllerPrivate::m_timer.invalidate();
+    } else {
+        if (deferFinalise) {
+            d->m_finaliseProjectImports.append(project);
+        }
+    }
+    if (!deferFinalise) {
+        QElapsedTimer *timer = d->m_timers[project];
+        qCInfo(SHELL) << "Project" << project->name() << "imported in"
+            << timer->restart() / 1000.0 << "seconds";
+        reparseProject(project);
+        qCInfo(SHELL) << "\t" << project->name()
+            << ": starting parse jobs took an additional"
+            << timer->elapsed() / 1000.0 << "seconds";
+        delete timer;
+        d->m_timers[project] = 0;
+    }
 }
 
 // helper method for closeProject()
@@ -956,6 +1005,7 @@
     // loading might have failed
     d->m_currentlyOpening.removeAll(proj->projectFile().toUrl());
     d->m_projects.removeAll(proj);
+    d->m_finaliseProjectImports.removeAll(proj);
     emit projectClosing(proj);
     //Core::self()->saveSettings();     // The project file is being closed.
                                         // Now we can save settings for all of the Core