diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js
index 47cc292062..3f58582905 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/Project/ProjectController.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const { ObjectId } = require('mongodb')
 const ProjectDeleter = require('./ProjectDeleter')
 const ProjectDuplicator = require('./ProjectDuplicator')
 const ProjectCreationHandler = require('./ProjectCreationHandler')
+const ProjectHistoryHandler = require('./ProjectHistoryHandler')
 const EditorController = require('../Editor/EditorController')
 const ProjectHelper = require('./ProjectHelper')
 const metrics = require('@overleaf/metrics')
@@ -680,6 +681,24 @@ const ProjectController = {
         activate(cb) {
           InactiveProjectManager.reactivateProjectIfRequired(projectId, cb)
         },
+        ensureHistoryExists(cb) {
+          // enable full project history in background for older projects
+          if (!Settings.apis.project_history || !Features.hasFeature('saas')) {
+            return cb()
+          }
+          ProjectHistoryHandler.ensureHistoryExistsForProject(
+            projectId,
+            err => {
+              if (err) {
+                logger.error(
+                  { err, projectId },
+                  'error ensuring history exists for project'
+                )
+              }
+              cb()
+            }
+          )
+        },
         markAsOpened(cb) {
           // don't need to wait for this to complete
           ProjectUpdateHandler.markAsOpened(projectId, () => {})
diff --git a/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js b/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js
index 3fec7ffbbb..56373accd4 100644
--- a/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js
+++ b/services/web/test/unit/src/Project/ProjectControllerTests.js
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ describe('ProjectController', function () {
         .stub()
         .callsArgWith(2, null, { _id: this.project_id }),
     }
+    this.ProjectHistoryHandler = {
+      ensureHistoryExistsForProject: sinon.stub().callsArg(1),
+    }
     this.SubscriptionLocator = { getUsersSubscription: sinon.stub() }
     this.LimitationsManager = { hasPaidSubscription: sinon.stub() }
     this.TagsHandler = { getAllTags: sinon.stub() }
@@ -140,6 +143,7 @@ describe('ProjectController', function () {
         './ProjectDeleter': this.ProjectDeleter,
         './ProjectDuplicator': this.ProjectDuplicator,
         './ProjectCreationHandler': this.ProjectCreationHandler,
+        './ProjectHistoryHandler': this.ProjectHistoryHandler,
         '../Editor/EditorController': this.EditorController,
         '../User/UserController': this.UserController,
         './ProjectHelper': this.ProjectHelper,
@@ -1024,6 +1028,18 @@ describe('ProjectController', function () {
       this.ProjectController.loadEditor(this.req, this.res)
     })
 
+    it('should ensureHistoryExistsForProject if saas and project_history enabled', function (done) {
+      this.Features.hasFeature.withArgs('saas').returns(true)
+      this.settings.apis.project_history = 'enabled'
+      this.res.render = (pageName, opts) => {
+        this.ProjectHistoryHandler.ensureHistoryExistsForProject
+          .calledWith(this.project_id)
+          .should.equal(true)
+        done()
+      }
+      this.ProjectController.loadEditor(this.req, this.res)
+    })
+
     it('should mark project as opened', function (done) {
       this.res.render = (pageName, opts) => {
         this.ProjectUpdateHandler.markAsOpened