diff --git a/supacode/Domain/ProjectWorkspace.swift b/supacode/Domain/ProjectWorkspace.swift
index c33b3bd1..eda211fc 100644
--- a/supacode/Domain/ProjectWorkspace.swift
+++ b/supacode/Domain/ProjectWorkspace.swift
@@ -434,6 +434,10 @@ nonisolated struct ProjectWorkspace: Codable, Equatable, Hashable, Sendable {
       .appending(path: metadataFileName)
   }
 
+  static func hasMetadata(at rootURL: URL) -> Bool {
+    FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: metadataURL(for: rootURL).path(percentEncoded: false))
+  }
+
   static func load(from rootURL: URL) -> ProjectWorkspace? {
     let metadataURL = metadataURL(for: rootURL)
     guard let data = try? Data(contentsOf: metadataURL) else {
diff --git a/supacode/Features/Settings/BusinessLogic/RepositoryPersistenceKeys.swift b/supacode/Features/Settings/BusinessLogic/RepositoryPersistenceKeys.swift
index 75bb222d..a90f67ee 100644
--- a/supacode/Features/Settings/BusinessLogic/RepositoryPersistenceKeys.swift
+++ b/supacode/Features/Settings/BusinessLogic/RepositoryPersistenceKeys.swift
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ nonisolated enum RepositoryEntryNormalizer {
 
     return order.compactMap { path in
       guard let kind = kindByPath[path] else { return nil }
-      if ProjectWorkspace.load(from: URL(fileURLWithPath: path)) != nil {
+      if ProjectWorkspace.hasMetadata(at: URL(fileURLWithPath: path)) {
         return PersistedRepositoryEntry(path: path, kind: .plain)
       }
       return PersistedRepositoryEntry(path: path, kind: kind)