diff --git a/app/main.cpp b/app/main.cpp
--- a/app/main.cpp
+++ b/app/main.cpp
@@ -192,6 +192,21 @@
     return nullptr;
 }
 
+/// Tries to find sessions containing project @p projectUrl in @p sessions.
+static const KDevelop::SessionInfos findSessionsWithProject(const SessionInfos& sessions, const QUrl& projectUrl)
+{
+    if (!projectUrl.isValid())
+        return {};
+
+    KDevelop::SessionInfos infos;
+    for (auto it = sessions.constBegin(); it != sessions.constEnd(); ++it) {
+        if (it->projects.contains(projectUrl)) {
+            infos << *it;
+        }
+    }
+    return infos;
+}
+
 /// Performs a DBus call to open the given @p files in the running kdev instance identified by @p pid
 /// Returns the exit status
 static int openFilesInRunningInstance(const QVector<UrlInfo>& files, qint64 pid)
@@ -673,8 +688,23 @@
         }
     }
 
+    QStringList projectNames = parser.values(QStringLiteral("project"));
+    foreach(const QString& projectName, projectNames)
+    {
+        QFileInfo info( projectName );
+        const auto projectUrl = QUrl::fromLocalFile(info.absoluteFilePath());
+        const auto sessionInfos = findSessionsWithProject(availableSessionInfos, projectUrl);
+        qDebug(APP) << "Found matching sessions:" << sessionInfos.size();
+        if (!sessionInfos.isEmpty()) {
+            // TODO: If there's more than one match: Allow the user to select which session to open?
+            qDebug(APP) << "Attempting to open session:" << sessionInfos.at(0).name;
+            session = sessionInfos.at(0).uuid.toString();
+        }
+    }
+
     KDevIDEExtension::init();
 
+    qDebug(APP) << "Attempting to initialize session:" << session;
     if(!Core::initialize(Core::Default, session))
         return 5;
 
@@ -686,25 +716,6 @@
         core->pluginController()->loadPlugin(QStringLiteral("KDevWelcomePage"));
     }
 
-    QStringList projectNames = parser.values(QStringLiteral("project"));
-    foreach(const QString& projectName, projectNames)
-    {
-        QFileInfo info( projectName );
-        if( info.suffix() == QLatin1String("kdev4") ) {
-            // make sure the project is not already opened by the session controller
-            bool shouldOpen = true;
-            Path path(info.absoluteFilePath());
-            foreach(KDevelop::IProject* project, core->projectController()->projects()) {
-                if (project->projectFile() == path) {
-                    shouldOpen = false;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            if (shouldOpen) {
-                core->projectController()->openProject( path.toUrl() );
-            }
-        }
-    }
 
     const QString debugStr = QStringLiteral("debug");
     if ( parser.isSet(debugStr) ) {