diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/filestore/store/WLFileStore.java b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/filestore/store/WLFileStore.java
index e65cfb8ce7..9d967c0567 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/filestore/store/WLFileStore.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/filestore/store/WLFileStore.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.filestore.GitDirectoryContents;
 import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.filestore.node.WLDirectoryNode;
 import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.model.Snapshot;
 import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.model.WLProject;
+import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.model.db.PersistentStoreAPI;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -26,11 +27,15 @@ public class WLFileStore {
     public WLFileStore(File rootGitDirectory) {
         fileStore = new HashMap<String, WLDirectoryNode>();
         this.rootGitDirectory = rootGitDirectory;
-        deleteInDirectoryApartFrom(rootGitDirectory, ".wlgb");
         attDirectory = new File(rootGitDirectory, ".wlgb/atts");
         attDirectory.mkdirs();
     }
 
+    public WLFileStore(File rootGitDirectory, PersistentStoreAPI persistentStoreAPI) {
+        this(rootGitDirectory);
+
+    }
+
     public static void deleteInDirectory(File directory) {
         deleteInDirectoryApartFrom(directory);
     }
diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLDataModel.java b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLDataModel.java
index 14123e1e59..0522491126 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLDataModel.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLDataModel.java
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ public class WLDataModel implements CandidateSnapshotCallback {
         persistentStore = new WLGBPersistentStore(rootGitDirectory);
         projectStore = persistentStore.loadProjectStore();
         fileStore = persistentStore.loadFileStore();
+        List<String> excludedFromDeletion = projectStore.getProjectNames();
+        excludedFromDeletion.add(".wlgb");
+        System.out.println("Not deleting: " + excludedFromDeletion);
+        WLFileStore.deleteInDirectoryApartFrom(rootGitDirectory, excludedFromDeletion.toArray(new String[]{}));
     }
 
     public List<WritableRepositoryContents> updateProjectWithName(String name) throws FailedConnectionException, InvalidProjectException {
diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLProjectStore.java b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLProjectStore.java
index 098ab0db04..060aadec41 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLProjectStore.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/WLProjectStore.java
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.model;
 import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.model.db.PersistentStoreAPI;
 import uk.ac.ic.wlgitbridge.writelatex.model.db.WLDatabaseSource;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 /**
@@ -17,6 +19,11 @@ public class WLProjectStore implements WLDatabaseSource {
         projects = new HashMap<String, WLProject>();
     }
 
+    public WLProjectStore(PersistentStoreAPI persistentStore) {
+        this();
+        initFromDatabase(persistentStore);
+    }
+
     public WLProject getProjectWithName(String name) {
         WLProject project;
         if (projects.containsKey(name)) {
@@ -28,6 +35,10 @@ public class WLProjectStore implements WLDatabaseSource {
         return project;
     }
 
+    public List<String> getProjectNames() {
+        return new ArrayList<String>(projects.keySet());
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void initFromDatabase(PersistentStoreAPI database) {
 
diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/db/WLGBPersistentStore.java b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/db/WLGBPersistentStore.java
index 9e0b3f22ee..26c898db05 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/db/WLGBPersistentStore.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/writelatex/model/db/WLGBPersistentStore.java
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ public class WLGBPersistentStore implements PersistentStoreAPI {
 
     @Override
     public WLProjectStore loadProjectStore() {
-        return new WLProjectStore();
+        return new WLProjectStore(this);
     }
 
     @Override
     public WLFileStore loadFileStore() {
-        return new WLFileStore(rootGitDirectory);
+        return new WLFileStore(rootGitDirectory, this);
     }
 
     @Override