diff --git a/nw/core/tree.py b/nw/core/tree.py
index b0c0340c..9a6c3050 100644
--- a/nw/core/tree.py
+++ b/nw/core/tree.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ class NWTree():
         self._treeChanged = False # True if tree structure has changed
 
         self._handleSeed  = None  # Used for generating handles for testing
+        self._handleCount = 0     # A counter that is added to the handle generator
 
         return
 
@@ -515,7 +516,8 @@ class NWTree():
         handle requests come faster than the clock resolution.
         """
         if self._handleSeed is None:
-            newSeed = str(time()) + addSeed
+            newSeed = "%s_%d_%s" % (str(time()), self._handleCount, addSeed)
+            self._handleCount += 1
         else:
             # This is used for debugging
             newSeed = str(self._handleSeed)
diff --git a/nw/guimain.py b/nw/guimain.py
index 300c00a7..af4ac35b 100644
--- a/nw/guimain.py
+++ b/nw/guimain.py
@@ -371,9 +371,9 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
 
         logger.info("Creating new project")
         if self.theProject.newProject(projData):
+            self.hasProject = True
             self.rebuildTrees()
             self.saveProject()
-            self.hasProject = True
             self.docEditor.setDictionaries()
             self.rebuildIndex(beQuiet=True)
             self.statusBar.setRefTime(self.theProject.projOpened)
diff --git a/tests/test_core/test_core_tree.py b/tests/test_core/test_core_tree.py
index 803e88c4..c2d15ed7 100644
--- a/tests/test_core/test_core_tree.py
+++ b/tests/test_core/test_core_tree.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import os
 import pytest
 
 from lxml import etree
+from hashlib import sha256
 
 from nw.core.project import NWProject, NWItem, NWTree
 from nw.enum import nwItemClass, nwItemType, nwItemLayout
@@ -394,22 +395,33 @@ def testCoreTree_MakeHandles(monkeypatch, dummyGUI):
     tHandle = theTree._makeHandle()
     assert tHandle == "73475cb40a568"
 
-    # Add the next in line to the project to foprce duplicate
+    # Add the next in line to the project to force duplicate
     theTree._projTree["44cb730c42048"] = None
     tHandle = theTree._makeHandle()
     assert tHandle == "71ee45a3c0db9"
 
     # Fix the time() function and force a handle collission
     theTree.setSeed(None)
+    theTree._handleCount = 0
     monkeypatch.setattr("nw.core.tree.time", lambda: 123.4)
 
     tHandle = theTree._makeHandle()
     theTree._projTree[tHandle] = None
-    assert tHandle == "5f466d7afa48b"
+    newSeed = "123.4_0_"
+    assert tHandle == sha256(newSeed.encode()).hexdigest()[0:13]
 
     tHandle = theTree._makeHandle()
     theTree._projTree[tHandle] = None
-    assert tHandle == "a79acf4c634a7"
+    newSeed = "123.4_1_"
+    assert tHandle == sha256(newSeed.encode()).hexdigest()[0:13]
+
+    # Reset the count and the handle for 0 and 1 should be duplicates
+    # which forces the function to add the '!'
+    theTree._handleCount = 0
+    tHandle = theTree._makeHandle()
+    theTree._projTree[tHandle] = None
+    newSeed = "123.4_1_!"
+    assert tHandle == sha256(newSeed.encode()).hexdigest()[0:13]
 
 # END Test testCoreTree_MakeHandles