diff --git a/kdevplatform/shell/core.cpp b/kdevplatform/shell/core.cpp
--- a/kdevplatform/shell/core.cpp
+++ b/kdevplatform/shell/core.cpp
@@ -239,6 +239,15 @@
         uiController.data()->initialize();
     }
     languageController.data()->initialize();
+    languageController->backgroundParser()->suspend();
+    // eventually resume the background parser once the project controller
+    // has been initialized. At that point we know whether there are projects loading
+    // which the background parser is handling internally to defer parse jobs
+    QObject::connect(projectController.data(), &ProjectController::initialized,
+                     m_core, [this]() {
+                         languageController.data()->backgroundParser()->resume();
+                     });
+
     if (partController) {
         partController.data()->initialize();
     }
diff --git a/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.h b/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.h
--- a/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.h
+++ b/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.h
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@
 
     virtual void initialize();
 
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void initialized();
+
 private:
     //FIXME Do not load all of this just for the project being opened...
     //void legacyLoading();
diff --git a/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp b/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp
--- a/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp
+++ b/kdevplatform/shell/projectcontroller.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <QSet>
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 #include <KActionCollection>
 #include <KConfigGroup>
@@ -648,16 +649,19 @@
 
     KSharedConfigPtr config = Core::self()->activeSession()->config();
     KConfigGroup group = config->group( "General Options" );
-    QList<QUrl> openProjects = group.readEntry( "Open Projects", QList<QUrl>() );
-
-    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(this, "openProjects", Qt::QueuedConnection, Q_ARG(QList<QUrl>, openProjects));
+    const auto projects = group.readEntry( "Open Projects", QList<QUrl>() );
 
     connect( Core::self()->selectionController(), &ISelectionController::selectionChanged,
              this, [&] () { d->updateActionStates(); } );
     connect(this, &ProjectController::projectOpened,
             this, [&] () { d->updateActionStates(); });
     connect(this, &ProjectController::projectClosing,
             this, [&] () { d->updateActionStates(); });
+
+    QTimer::singleShot(0, this, [this, projects](){
+        openProjects(projects);
+        emit initialized();
+    });
 }
 
 void ProjectController::openProjects(const QList<QUrl>& projects)
diff --git a/kdevplatform/shell/tests/test_projectcontroller.cpp b/kdevplatform/shell/tests/test_projectcontroller.cpp
--- a/kdevplatform/shell/tests/test_projectcontroller.cpp
+++ b/kdevplatform/shell/tests/test_projectcontroller.cpp
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@
     m_scratchDir = QDir(QDir::tempPath());
     m_scratchDir.mkdir(QStringLiteral("prjctrltest"));
     m_scratchDir.cd(QStringLiteral("prjctrltest"));
+
+    QSignalSpy projectControllerInitializedSpy(m_core->projectControllerInternal(),
+                                               &ProjectController::initialized);
+    QVERIFY(projectControllerInitializedSpy.wait(100));
 }
 
 void TestProjectController::cleanupTestCase()