diff --git a/nw/gui/projload.py b/nw/gui/projload.py
index 39714cbb..d8d72c7e 100644
--- a/nw/gui/projload.py
+++ b/nw/gui/projload.py
@@ -257,40 +257,31 @@ class GuiProjectLoad(QDialog):
     def _populateList(self):
         """Populate the list box with recent project data.
         """
-        listOrder = []
-        listData  = {}
-        for projPath in self.mainConf.recentProj.keys():
+        dataList = []
+        for projPath in self.mainConf.recentProj:
             theEntry = self.mainConf.recentProj[projPath]
-            theTitle = ""
-            theTime  = 0
-            theWords = 0
-            if "title" in theEntry.keys():
-                theTitle = theEntry["title"]
-            if "time" in theEntry.keys():
-                theTime = theEntry["time"]
-            if "words" in theEntry.keys():
-                theWords = theEntry["words"]
-            if theTime > 0:
-                listOrder.append(theTime)
-                listData[theTime] = [theTitle, theWords, projPath]
+            theTitle = theEntry.get("title", "")
+            theTime  = theEntry.get("time", 0)
+            theWords = theEntry.get("words", 0)
+            dataList.append([theTitle, theTime, theWords, projPath])
 
         self.listBox.clear()
-        hasSelection = False
-        for timeStamp in sorted(listOrder, reverse=True):
+        sortList = sorted(dataList, key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
+        for theTitle, theTime, theWords, projPath in sortList:
             newItem = QTreeWidgetItem([""]*4)
             newItem.setIcon(self.C_NAME,  self.theParent.theTheme.getIcon("proj_nwx"))
-            newItem.setText(self.C_NAME,  listData[timeStamp][0])
-            newItem.setData(self.C_NAME,  Qt.UserRole, listData[timeStamp][2])
-            newItem.setText(self.C_COUNT, formatInt(listData[timeStamp][1]))
-            newItem.setText(self.C_TIME,  datetime.fromtimestamp(timeStamp).strftime("%x %X"))
+            newItem.setText(self.C_NAME,  theTitle)
+            newItem.setData(self.C_NAME,  Qt.UserRole, projPath)
+            newItem.setText(self.C_COUNT, formatInt(theWords))
+            newItem.setText(self.C_TIME,  datetime.fromtimestamp(theTime).strftime("%x %X"))
             newItem.setTextAlignment(self.C_NAME,  Qt.AlignLeft  | Qt.AlignVCenter)
             newItem.setTextAlignment(self.C_COUNT, Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignVCenter)
             newItem.setTextAlignment(self.C_TIME,  Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignVCenter)
             newItem.setFont(self.C_TIME, self.theTheme.guiFontFixed)
             self.listBox.addTopLevelItem(newItem)
-            if not hasSelection:
-                newItem.setSelected(True)
-                hasSelection = True
+
+        if self.listBox.topLevelItemCount() > 0:
+            self.listBox.topLevelItem(0).setSelected(True)
 
         projColWidth = self.mainConf.getProjColWidths()
         if len(projColWidth) == 3:
diff --git a/nw/gui/projtree.py b/nw/gui/projtree.py
index ca4c11de..b48b938b 100644
--- a/nw/gui/projtree.py
+++ b/nw/gui/projtree.py
@@ -434,6 +434,9 @@ class GuiProjectTree(QTreeWidget):
             logger.error("No project open")
             return False
 
+        if not self.hasFocus():
+            return False
+
         if tHandle is None:
             tHandle = self.getSelectedHandle()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_gui/test_gui_doceditor.py b/tests/test_gui/test_gui_doceditor.py
index 6d0034c7..ba435ad0 100644
--- a/tests/test_gui/test_gui_doceditor.py
+++ b/tests/test_gui/test_gui_doceditor.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import Qt
 from PyQt5.QtGui import QTextCursor
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QAction, QMessageBox
 
+from nw.gui.projtree import GuiProjectTree
 from nw.constants import nwItemType, nwDocAction
 
 keyDelay = 2
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ def testGuiEditor_Main(qtbot, monkeypatch, nwGUI, fncDir, fncProj, refDir, outDi
     """
     # Block message box
     monkeypatch.setattr(QMessageBox, "question", lambda *args: QMessageBox.Yes)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GuiProjectTree, "hasFocus", lambda *args: True)
 
     # Create new, save, close project
     nwGUI.theProject.projTree.setSeed(42)
diff --git a/tests/test_gui/test_gui_projtree.py b/tests/test_gui/test_gui_projtree.py
index 395fb4ab..317b8c58 100644
--- a/tests/test_gui/test_gui_projtree.py
+++ b/tests/test_gui/test_gui_projtree.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ from tools import writeFile
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QItemSelectionModel
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QAction, QMessageBox
 
+from nw.guimain import GuiMain
+from nw.gui.projtree import GuiProjectTree
 from nw.constants import nwItemType, nwItemClass
 
 @pytest.mark.gui
@@ -36,7 +38,8 @@ def testGuiProjTree_TreeItems(qtbot, caplog, monkeypatch, nwGUI, nwMinimal):
     """
     # Block message box
     monkeypatch.setattr(QMessageBox, "question", lambda *args: QMessageBox.Yes)
-    monkeypatch.setattr("nw.guimain.GuiMain.editItem", lambda *args: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GuiMain, "editItem", lambda *args: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GuiProjectTree, "hasFocus", lambda *args: True)
 
     nwGUI.theProject.projTree.setSeed(42)
     nwTree = nwGUI.treeView