diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/dmp-editor.model.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/dmp-editor.model.ts
index b0b742332..45ab5fd40 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/dmp-editor.model.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/dmp-editor.model.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export class DmpEditorModel {
 		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'version', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'version')] });
 		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'status', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'status')] });
 		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'description', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'description')] });
-		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'project', validators: [Validators.required, ValidJsonValidator, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'project')] });
+		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'project', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'project')] });
 		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'organisations', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'organisations')] });
 		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'researchers', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'researchers')] });
 		baseContext.validation.push({ key: 'profiles', validators: [Validators.required, ValidJsonValidator, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'profiles')] });
diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/project-tab/project-tab.component.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/project-tab/project-tab.component.ts
index 59e173b57..877dad01e 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/project-tab/project-tab.component.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/dmp/editor/project-tab/project-tab.component.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ export class ProjectTabComponent implements OnInit {
 			this.project = new ProjectTabModel();
 			this.formGroup = this.project.buildForm();
 		}
+
+		this.isCreateNew = (this.formGroup.get('label').value != null && this.formGroup.get('label').value.length > 0);
+		this.setValidators();
 	}
 
 	searchProject(query: string) {
@@ -54,9 +57,12 @@ export class ProjectTabComponent implements OnInit {
 
 	create() {
 		this.isCreateNew = !this.isCreateNew;
+		this.setValidators();
+	}
+
+	setValidators() {
 		if (this.isCreateNew) {
 			this.formGroup.get('existProject').disable();
-			// this.formGroup.get('existProject').reset();
 			this.formGroup.get('label').enable();
 			this.formGroup.get('description').enable();
 		} else {