diff --git a/apps/client/src/common/api/db.ts b/apps/client/src/common/api/db.ts
index 7e004327fb..41de27a24b 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/common/api/db.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/common/api/db.ts
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ export async function renameProject(filename: string, newFilename: string): Prom
   const url = `${dbPath}/${filename}/rename`;
   const decodedUrl = decodeURIComponent(url);
   const res = await axios.put(decodedUrl, {
-    filename: newFilename,
+    newFilename,
   });
   return res.data;
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts b/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts
index d3f923407c..e24cde4695 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ import type { Request, Response } from 'express';
 import { failEmptyObjects } from '../../utils/routerUtils.js';
 import { resolveDbDirectory } from '../../setup/index.js';
 
-import * as projectService from '../../services/project-service/ProjectService.js';
-import { doesProjectExist, upload, validateProjectFiles } from '../../services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.js';
+import { doesProjectExist, upload } from '../../services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.js';
 import { oscIntegration } from '../../services/integration-service/OscIntegration.js';
 import { httpIntegration } from '../../services/integration-service/HttpIntegration.js';
 import { DataProvider } from '../../classes/data-provider/DataProvider.js';
+import * as projectService from '../../services/project-service/ProjectService.js';
 
 export async function patchPartialProjectFile(req: Request, res: Response<DatabaseModel | ErrorResponse>) {
   // all fields are optional in validation
@@ -208,16 +208,9 @@ export async function duplicateProjectFile(req: Request, res: Response<MessageRe
  */
 export async function renameProjectFile(req: Request, res: Response<MessageResponse | ErrorResponse>) {
   try {
-    const { filename: newFilename } = req.body;
+    const { newFilename } = req.body;
     const { filename } = req.params;
 
-    const errors = validateProjectFiles({ filename, newFilename });
-
-    if (errors.length) {
-      return res.status(409).send({ message: errors.join(', ') });
-    }
-
-    // Rename the file
     await projectService.renameProjectFile(filename, newFilename);
 
     res.status(201).send({
@@ -225,6 +218,10 @@ export async function renameProjectFile(req: Request, res: Response<MessageRespo
     });
   } catch (error) {
     const message = getErrorMessage(error);
+    if (message.startsWith('Project file')) {
+      return res.status(403).send({ message });
+    }
+
     res.status(500).send({ message });
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.router.ts b/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.router.ts
index c70462f60a..16b4ffcc18 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.router.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.router.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ router.get('/all', listProjects);
 
 router.post('/load', validateFilenameBody, loadProject);
 router.post('/:filename/duplicate', validateFilenameParam, validateNewFilenameBody, duplicateProjectFile);
-router.put('/:filename/rename', validateFilenameParam, validateFilenameBody, renameProjectFile);
+router.put('/:filename/rename', validateFilenameParam, validateNewFilenameBody, renameProjectFile);
 router.delete('/:filename', validateFilenameParam, deleteProjectFile);
 
 router.get('/info', getInfo);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts b/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts
index 9bc5fcebc4..0db8950cc8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class AppState {
     return data.lastLoadedProject;
   }
 
-  async updateDatabaseConfig(filename: string): Promise<void> {
+  async setLastLoadedProject(filename: string): Promise<void> {
     if (isTest) return;
 
     if (!this.didInit) {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts
index 3170a77902..87c5a73285 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import { dbModel } from '../../models/dataModel.js';
 import { deleteFile } from '../../utils/parserUtils.js';
 import { switchDb } from '../../setup/loadDb.js';
 import { doesProjectExist, getPathToProject, getProjectFiles } from './projectServiceUtils.js';
-import { parseJson } from '../../utils/parser.js';
 import { generateUniqueFileName } from '../../utils/generateUniqueFilename.js';
 
 // init dependencies
@@ -38,16 +37,14 @@ export async function applyProjectFile(name: string, options?: Options) {
   const filePath = getPathToProject(name);
   const data = parseProjectFile(filePath);
 
-  const result = parseJson(data);
-
   // change LowDB to point to new file
-  await switchDb(filePath, result.data);
+  await switchDb(filePath);
 
   // apply data model
   await applyDataModel(data, options);
 
   // persist the project selection
-  await appStateProvider.updateDatabaseConfig(name);
+  await appStateProvider.setLastLoadedProject(name);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -66,17 +63,17 @@ export async function getProjectList(): Promise<ProjectFileListResponse> {
 /**
  * Duplicates an existing project file
  */
-export async function duplicateProjectFile(originalFile: string, newFileName: string) {
+export async function duplicateProjectFile(originalFile: string, newFilename: string) {
   if (!doesProjectExist(originalFile)) {
     throw new Error('Project file not found');
   }
 
-  if (doesProjectExist(newFileName)) {
-    throw new Error(`Project file with name ${newFileName} already exists`);
+  if (doesProjectExist(newFilename)) {
+    throw new Error(`Project file with name ${newFilename} already exists`);
   }
 
   const projectFilePath = getPathToProject(originalFile);
-  const duplicateProjectFilePath = getPathToProject(newFileName);
+  const duplicateProjectFilePath = getPathToProject(newFilename);
 
   return copyFile(projectFilePath, duplicateProjectFilePath);
 }
@@ -84,17 +81,24 @@ export async function duplicateProjectFile(originalFile: string, newFileName: st
 /**
  * Renames an existing project file
  */
-export async function renameProjectFile(existingProjectFile: string, newName: string) {
-  const projectFilePath = getPathToProject(existingProjectFile);
-  const newProjectFilePath = getPathToProject(newName);
+export async function renameProjectFile(originalFile: string, newFilename: string) {
+  if (!doesProjectExist(originalFile)) {
+    throw new Error('Project file not found');
+  }
+
+  if (doesProjectExist(newFilename)) {
+    throw new Error(`Project file with name ${newFilename} already exists`);
+  }
+
+  const projectFilePath = getPathToProject(originalFile);
+  const newProjectFilePath = getPathToProject(newFilename);
 
   await rename(projectFilePath, newProjectFilePath);
 
   // Update the last loaded project config if current loaded project is the one being renamed
-  const lastLoadedProject = await appStateProvider.getLastLoadedProject();
-
-  if (lastLoadedProject === existingProjectFile) {
-    await appStateProvider.updateDatabaseConfig(newName);
+  const isLoaded = await appStateProvider.isLastLoadedProject(originalFile);
+  if (isLoaded) {
+    await applyProjectFile(newFilename);
   }
 }
 
@@ -121,7 +125,7 @@ export async function createProject(filename: string, projectData: ProjectData)
   await applyDataModel(data);
 
   // update app state to point to new value
-  appStateProvider.updateDatabaseConfig(uniqueFileName);
+  appStateProvider.setLastLoadedProject(uniqueFileName);
 
   return uniqueFileName;
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts
index d9bb401d5e..2c31a8646c 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { deleteProjectFile, duplicateProjectFile } from '../ProjectService.js';
+import { deleteProjectFile, duplicateProjectFile, renameProjectFile } from '../ProjectService.js';
 import { appStateProvider } from '../../app-state-service/AppStateService.js';
 import { doesProjectExist } from '../projectServiceUtils.js';
 import { Mock } from 'vitest';
@@ -54,3 +54,20 @@ describe('duplicateProjectFile', () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+describe('renameProjectFile', () => {
+  it('throws an error if origin project does not exist', async () => {
+    (doesProjectExist as Mock).mockReturnValue(false);
+    await expect(renameProjectFile('does not exist', 'doesnt matter')).rejects.toThrow('Project file not found');
+  });
+
+  it('throws an error if new file name is already a project', async () => {
+    // current project exists
+    (doesProjectExist as Mock).mockReturnValueOnce(true);
+    // new project exists
+    (doesProjectExist as Mock).mockReturnValueOnce(true);
+    expect(renameProjectFile('nonexistentProject', 'existingproject')).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Project file with name existingproject already exists',
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.ts b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.ts
index 6eec6f7d6f..5ad7315f86 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.ts
@@ -59,35 +59,6 @@ export function doesProjectExist(name: string): boolean {
   return existsSync(projectFilePath);
 }
 
-/**
- * @description Validates the existence of project files.
- * @param {object} projectFiles
- * @param {string} projectFiles.projectFilename
- * @param {string} projectFiles.newFilename
- *
- * @returns {Promise<Array<string>>} Array of errors
- *
- */
-export const validateProjectFiles = (projectFiles: { filename?: string; newFilename?: string }): Array<string> => {
-  const errors: string[] = [];
-
-  // current project must exist
-  if (projectFiles.filename) {
-    if (!doesProjectExist(projectFiles.filename)) {
-      errors.push('Project file does not exist');
-    }
-  }
-
-  // new project must NOT exist
-  if (projectFiles.newFilename) {
-    if (doesProjectExist(projectFiles.newFilename)) {
-      errors.push('New project file already exists');
-    }
-  }
-
-  return errors;
-};
-
 /**
  * Returns the absolute path to a project file
  */
diff --git a/apps/server/src/setup/loadDb.ts b/apps/server/src/setup/loadDb.ts
index 9bd928ba55..d2d26ee1d6 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/setup/loadDb.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/setup/loadDb.ts
@@ -52,13 +52,14 @@ const populateDb = (directory: string, filename: string): string => {
 async function loadDb(directory: string, filename: string) {
   const dbInDisk = populateDb(directory, filename);
 
+  // TODO: should this be passed in somewhere?
   let newData: DatabaseModel = dbModel;
 
   try {
     const maybeProjectFile = parseProjectFile(dbInDisk);
     const result = parseJson(maybeProjectFile);
 
-    await appStateProvider.updateDatabaseConfig(filename);
+    await appStateProvider.setLastLoadedProject(filename);
 
     newData = result.data;
   } catch (error) {
@@ -88,10 +89,14 @@ const init = async () => {
 /**
  * Allows to switch the database to a new file
  */
-export const switchDb = async (filePath: string, data: DatabaseModel) => {
-  const newDb = await JSONFilePreset<DatabaseModel>(filePath, data);
+export const switchDb = async (filePath: string, initialData: DatabaseModel = dbModel) => {
+  const newDb = await JSONFilePreset<DatabaseModel>(filePath, initialData);
+
+  // Read the database to initialize it
+  await newDb.read();
+
   db = newDb;
-  data = newDb.data;
+  data = db.data;
 };
 
 init();