diff --git a/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml b/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml
index 04da8ba721c..c7773d54833 100644
--- a/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml
+++ b/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml
@@ -345,6 +345,9 @@
     <registryKey defaultValue="false"
                  description="Scan for non-root source folders in source jars. (requires re-sync)"
                  key="bazel.sync.detect.source.roots"/>
+    <registryKey defaultValue="true"
+                 description="By default Bazel plugin takes control and opens project if .ijwb folder is present. This property can be used to disable this behavior to allow to open .idea or other project models if they are exists."
+                 key="bazel.project.auto.open.if.present"/>
   </extensions>
 
   <extensions defaultExtensionNs="com.intellij">
diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/AutoImportProjectOpenProcessor.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/AutoImportProjectOpenProcessor.java
index 212d0958f08..d7fc32ae2fa 100644
--- a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/AutoImportProjectOpenProcessor.java
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/AutoImportProjectOpenProcessor.java
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 package com.google.idea.blaze.base.project;
 
-import com.google.idea.blaze.base.model.primitives.WorkspacePath;
+import static com.google.idea.blaze.base.project.BlazeProjectOpenProcessor.getIdeaSubdirectory;
+
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.model.primitives.WorkspaceRoot;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.ProjectView;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.ProjectView.Builder;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.ProjectViewSet;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.parser.ProjectViewParser;
-import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.ListSection;
-import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.ScalarSection;
-import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.sections.AutomaticallyDeriveTargetsSection;
-import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.sections.DirectoryEntry;
-import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.sections.DirectorySection;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.sections.TextBlock;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.projectview.section.sections.TextBlockSection;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.settings.Blaze;
@@ -24,7 +20,6 @@
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.wizard2.WorkspaceTypeData;
 import com.google.idea.sdkcompat.general.BaseSdkCompat;
 import com.intellij.ide.SaveAndSyncHandler;
-import com.intellij.ide.impl.OpenProjectTask;
 import com.intellij.ide.impl.ProjectUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
@@ -89,8 +84,10 @@ public boolean lookForProjectsInDirectory() {
 
   @Override
   public boolean canOpenProject(@NotNull VirtualFile virtualFile) {
+    // Auto import activated only if it is not disabled, there is no existing project model in the folder
+    // and Bazel workspace is detected.
     return !Registry.is("bazel.auto.import.disabled")
-            && isBazelWorkspace(virtualFile);
+            && getIdeaSubdirectory(virtualFile) == null && isBazelWorkspace(virtualFile);
   }
 
   private boolean isBazelWorkspace(VirtualFile virtualFile) {
diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/BlazeProjectOpenProcessor.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/BlazeProjectOpenProcessor.java
index 2fc16fe9097..fa669760757 100644
--- a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/BlazeProjectOpenProcessor.java
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/project/BlazeProjectOpenProcessor.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.sync.data.BlazeDataStorage;
 import com.google.idea.sdkcompat.general.BaseSdkCompat;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
 import com.intellij.projectImport.ProjectOpenProcessor;
 import icons.BlazeIcons;
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ public Icon getIcon() {
   private static final String DEPRECATED_PROJECT_DATA_SUBDIRECTORY = ".project";
 
   @Nullable
-  private static VirtualFile getIdeaSubdirectory(VirtualFile file) {
+  public static VirtualFile getIdeaSubdirectory(VirtualFile file) {
     VirtualFile projectSubdirectory = file.findChild(BlazeDataStorage.PROJECT_DATA_SUBDIRECTORY);
     if (projectSubdirectory == null || !projectSubdirectory.isDirectory()) {
       projectSubdirectory = file.findChild(DEPRECATED_PROJECT_DATA_SUBDIRECTORY);
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ public boolean canOpenProject(VirtualFile file) {
 
   @Override
   public boolean isStrongProjectInfoHolder() {
-    return true;
+    return Registry.is("bazel.project.auto.open.if.present", true);
   }
 
   @Override