diff --git a/src/components/app/pixel-forge-app.ts b/src/components/app/pixel-forge-app.ts
index 2d009e1..3fea758 100644
--- a/src/components/app/pixel-forge-app.ts
+++ b/src/components/app/pixel-forge-app.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
   @state() timelineHeight = 200;
   @state() private isResizingTimeline = false;
   @state() private hasLibraryProject = false;
+  @state() private projectSelectionRequired = false;
   @state() private warningMessage: string | null = null;
 
   private resizeStartY = 0;
@@ -347,7 +348,7 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
   private handlePaintByNumberDialogClose = () => {
     this.showPaintByNumberDialog = false;
 
-    if (!this.hasLibraryProject) {
+    if (this.projectSelectionRequired) {
       this.showProjectBrowser = true;
     }
   };
@@ -355,7 +356,7 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
   private handleNewProjectDialogClose = () => {
     this.showNewProjectDialog = false;
 
-    if (!this.hasLibraryProject) {
+    if (this.projectSelectionRequired) {
       this.showProjectBrowser = true;
     }
   };
@@ -400,18 +401,20 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
   };
 
   private handleProjectBrowserClose = () => {
-    if (this.hasLibraryProject) {
+    if (!this.projectSelectionRequired) {
       this.showProjectBrowser = false;
     }
   };
 
   private handleProjectOpened = () => {
     this.hasLibraryProject = true;
+    this.projectSelectionRequired = false;
     this.showProjectBrowser = false;
   };
 
   private handleProjectCreated = () => {
     this.hasLibraryProject = true;
+    this.projectSelectionRequired = false;
     this.showNewProjectDialog = false;
     this.showPaintByNumberDialog = false;
     this.showProjectBrowser = false;
@@ -419,6 +422,7 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
 
   private handleCurrentProjectDeleted = () => {
     this.hasLibraryProject = false;
+    this.projectSelectionRequired = true;
     this.showProjectBrowser = true;
   };
 
@@ -462,6 +466,7 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
         (await workspaceStore.restoreWorkspace(workspaceState))
       ) {
         this.hasLibraryProject = true;
+        this.projectSelectionRequired = false;
         this.showProjectBrowser = false;
         return;
       }
@@ -482,15 +487,18 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
       ) {
         historyStore.clear();
         this.hasLibraryProject = true;
+        this.projectSelectionRequired = false;
         this.showProjectBrowser = false;
       } else {
         this.hasLibraryProject = false;
-        this.showProjectBrowser = true;
+        this.projectSelectionRequired = false;
+        this.showProjectBrowser = false;
       }
     } catch (error) {
       log.warn("Failed to load saved project, starting fresh:", error);
       this.hasLibraryProject = false;
-      this.showProjectBrowser = true;
+      this.projectSelectionRequired = false;
+      this.showProjectBrowser = false;
     }
   }
 
@@ -681,7 +689,7 @@ export class PixelForgeApp extends BaseComponent {
       ${this.showProjectBrowser
         ? html`
             <pf-project-browser
-              .canClose=${this.hasLibraryProject}
+              .canClose=${!this.projectSelectionRequired}
               @show-new-project-dialog=${this.handleShowNewProjectDialog}
               @show-paint-by-number-dialog=${this.handleShowPaintByNumberDialog}
               @project-browser-close=${this.handleProjectBrowserClose}
diff --git a/tests/components/app/pixel-forge-app.test.ts b/tests/components/app/pixel-forge-app.test.ts
index 2d3109b..ef62575 100644
--- a/tests/components/app/pixel-forge-app.test.ts
+++ b/tests/components/app/pixel-forge-app.test.ts
@@ -108,6 +108,28 @@ describe('pixel-forge-app project dialogs', () => {
     expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it('starts in the editor when no saved project can be restored', async () => {
+    await import('../../../src/components/app/pixel-forge-app');
+
+    const element = document.createElement('pixel-forge-app') as HTMLElement & {
+      hasLibraryProject: boolean;
+      showProjectBrowser: boolean;
+      updateComplete: Promise<unknown>;
+    };
+
+    document.body.append(element);
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(projectRepositoryMock.list).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(element.hasLibraryProject).toBe(false);
+    expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(false);
+    expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser')).toBeNull();
+    expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-drawing-canvas')).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
   it('opens the project browser from the project tab strip', async () => {
     await import('../../../src/components/app/pixel-forge-app');
 
@@ -117,6 +139,9 @@ describe('pixel-forge-app project dialogs', () => {
     };
 
     document.body.append(element);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(projectRepositoryMock.list).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
     await element.updateComplete;
 
     element.showProjectBrowser = false;
@@ -129,7 +154,52 @@ describe('pixel-forge-app project dialogs', () => {
     await element.updateComplete;
 
     expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(true);
-    expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser')).toBeTruthy();
+    const browser = element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser');
+    expect(browser).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(browser?.canClose).toBe(true);
+
+    browser?.dispatchEvent(
+      new CustomEvent('project-browser-close', { bubbles: true, composed: true })
+    );
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(false);
+    expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('requires another project after deleting the active library project', async () => {
+    await import('../../../src/components/app/pixel-forge-app');
+
+    const element = document.createElement('pixel-forge-app') as HTMLElement & {
+      hasLibraryProject: boolean;
+      showProjectBrowser: boolean;
+      updateComplete: Promise<unknown>;
+    };
+
+    document.body.append(element);
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    element.hasLibraryProject = true;
+    element.showProjectBrowser = true;
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    const browser = element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser');
+    browser?.dispatchEvent(
+      new CustomEvent('current-project-deleted', { bubbles: true, composed: true })
+    );
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    const requiredBrowser = element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser');
+    expect(element.hasLibraryProject).toBe(false);
+    expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(true);
+    expect(requiredBrowser?.canClose).toBe(false);
+
+    requiredBrowser?.dispatchEvent(
+      new CustomEvent('project-browser-close', { bubbles: true, composed: true })
+    );
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it('renders the canvas surface from the active project context', async () => {
@@ -183,6 +253,14 @@ describe('pixel-forge-app project dialogs', () => {
     expect(element.showNewProjectDialog).toBe(true);
     expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser')).toBeNull();
     expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-new-project-dialog')?.open).toBe(true);
+
+    element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-new-project-dialog')?.dispatchEvent(
+      new CustomEvent('close', { bubbles: true, composed: true })
+    );
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(element.showNewProjectDialog).toBe(false);
+    expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it('opens guided setup when the project browser requests it', async () => {
@@ -198,7 +276,7 @@ describe('pixel-forge-app project dialogs', () => {
     document.body.append(element);
     await element.updateComplete;
 
-    element.hasLibraryProject = true;
+    element.hasLibraryProject = false;
     element.showProjectBrowser = true;
     element.showPaintByNumberDialog = false;
     await element.updateComplete;
@@ -213,5 +291,13 @@ describe('pixel-forge-app project dialogs', () => {
     expect(element.showPaintByNumberDialog).toBe(true);
     expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-project-browser')).toBeNull();
     expect(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-paint-by-number-dialog')?.open).toBe(true);
+
+    element.shadowRoot?.querySelector('pf-paint-by-number-dialog')?.dispatchEvent(
+      new CustomEvent('close', { bubbles: true, composed: true })
+    );
+    await element.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(element.showPaintByNumberDialog).toBe(false);
+    expect(element.showProjectBrowser).toBe(false);
   });
 });