diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
index c83c7a217..e2d99dac7 100755
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
@@ -754,7 +754,9 @@ object Project extends ProjectExtra {
     EvaluateTask(extracted.structure, taskKey, state, extracted.currentRef, config)
   }
 
-  implicit def projectToRef(p: Project): ProjectReference = LocalProject(p.id)
+  def projectToRef(p: Project): ProjectReference = LocalProject(p.id)
+
+  implicit def projectToLocalProject(p: Project): LocalProject = LocalProject(p.id)
 
   final class RichTaskSessionVar[S](i: Def.Initialize[Task[S]]) {
     import SessionVar.{ persistAndSet, resolveContext, set, transform => tx }
diff --git a/notes/1.2.0/introduce-projectToLocalProject.md b/notes/1.2.0/introduce-projectToLocalProject.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f856d3e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/1.2.0/introduce-projectToLocalProject.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[@dwijnand]: https://github.com/dwijnand
+
+[#3757]: https://github.com/sbt/sbt/issues/3757
+[#3836]: https://github.com/sbt/sbt/pull/3836
+
+### Fixes with compatibility implications
+
+### Improvements
+
+- Introduces `projectToLocalProject` to replace `projectToRef`.  [#3757][]/[#3836][] by [@dwijnand][]
+
+### Bug fixes