diff --git a/main/Main.scala b/main/Main.scala
index 45adf7bdf..a291092d4 100644
--- a/main/Main.scala
+++ b/main/Main.scala
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ object BuiltinCommands
 	def loadProject = Command(LoadProject, LoadProjectBrief, LoadProjectDetailed)(_ => matched(Project.loadActionParser)) { (s,arg) => loadProjectCommands(arg) ::: s }
 
 	def loadProjectImpl = Command(LoadProjectImpl)(_ => Project.loadActionParser) { (s0, action) =>
-		val (s, base) = Project.loadAction(s0, action)
+		val (s, base) = Project.loadAction(SessionVar.clear(s0), action)
 		IO.createDirectory(base)
 		val (eval, structure) = Load.defaultLoad(s, base, logger(s))
 		val session = Load.initialSession(structure, eval)
diff --git a/main/Project.scala b/main/Project.scala
index 0e6a695ea..c83826097 100644
--- a/main/Project.scala
+++ b/main/Project.scala
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ object Project extends Init[Scope] with ProjectExtra
 	{
 		val unloaded = runUnloadHooks(s)
 		val (onLoad, onUnload) = getHooks(structure.data)
-		val newAttrs = unloaded.attributes.put(stateBuildStructure, structure).put(sessionSettings, session).put(Keys.onUnload.key, onUnload).put(sessionVars, SessionVar.emptyMap)
+		val newAttrs = unloaded.attributes.put(stateBuildStructure, structure).put(sessionSettings, session).put(Keys.onUnload.key, onUnload)
 		val newState = unloaded.copy(attributes = newAttrs)
 		onLoad(updateCurrent( newState ))
 	}
@@ -379,6 +379,8 @@ object SessionVar
 			Operations.write(s.binary(DefaultDataID), value)(f)
 		)
 
+	def clear(s: State): State  =  s.put(sessionVars, SessionVar.emptyMap)
+
 	def get[T](key: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State): Option[T] = orEmpty(state get sessionVars) get key
 
 	def set[T](key: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, value: T): State = state.update(sessionVars)(om => orEmpty(om) put (key, value))