diff --git a/cli/lib/cli.js b/cli/lib/cli.js
index 0b5a352b8a..24aac5bda7 100644
--- a/cli/lib/cli.js
+++ b/cli/lib/cli.js
@@ -10,9 +10,19 @@ const coerceFalse = (arg) => {
   return arg !== 'false'
 }
 
-const parseOpts = (opts) => _.pick(opts,
-  'project', 'spec', 'reporter', 'reporterOptions', 'path', 'destination',
-  'port', 'env', 'cypressVersion', 'config', 'record', 'key', 'browser', 'detached', 'headed')
+const parseOpts = (opts) =>  {
+  opts = _.pick(opts,
+    'project', 'spec', 'reporter', 'reporterOptions', 'path', 'destination',
+    'port', 'env', 'cypressVersion', 'config', 'record', 'key', 'browser', 'detached', 'headed')
+
+  if (opts.project) {
+    opts.project = path.resolve(opts.project)
+  }
+
+  debug('parsed cli options', opts)
+
+  return opts
+}
 
 const descriptions = {
   record: 'records the run. sends test results, screenshots and videos to your Cypress Dashboard.',
@@ -92,13 +102,8 @@ module.exports = {
       .option('-b, --browser <browser-name>',              text('browser'))
       .option('-P, --project <project-path>',              text('project'))
       .action((opts) => {
-        const parsedOptions = parseOpts(opts)
-        if (parsedOptions.project) {
-          parsedOptions.project = path.resolve(parsedOptions.project)
-        }
-        debug('parsed cli options', parsedOptions)
         require('./exec/run')
-        .start(parsedOptions)
+        .start(parseOpts(opts))
         .then(util.exit)
         .catch(util.logErrorExit1)
       })
diff --git a/cli/lib/exec/open.js b/cli/lib/exec/open.js
index 98127bc297..336e33a886 100644
--- a/cli/lib/exec/open.js
+++ b/cli/lib/exec/open.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const verify = require('../tasks/verify')
 
 module.exports = {
   start (options = {}) {
-    if (!util.isInstalledGlobally()) {
+    if (!util.isInstalledGlobally() && !options.project) {
       options.project = process.cwd()
     }
 
diff --git a/cli/test/lib/cli_spec.js b/cli/test/lib/cli_spec.js
index 5b5fb99b44..72babf9234 100644
--- a/cli/test/lib/cli_spec.js
+++ b/cli/test/lib/cli_spec.js
@@ -160,24 +160,43 @@ describe('cli', function () {
     })
   })
 
-  it('open calls open.start with options', function () {
-    this.sandbox.stub(open, 'start').resolves()
-    this.exec('open --port 7878')
-    expect(open.start).to.be.calledWith({ port: '7878' })
-  })
+  context('cypress open', function () {
+    beforeEach(function () {
+      this.sandbox.stub(open, 'start').resolves(0)
+    })
 
-  it('open calls open.start + catches errors', function (done) {
-    const err = new Error('foo')
+    it('calls open.start with relative --project folder', function () {
+      this.sandbox.stub(path, 'resolve')
+        .withArgs('foo/bar').returns('/mock/absolute/foo/bar')
+      this.exec('open --project foo/bar')
+      expect(open.start).to.be.calledWith({ project: '/mock/absolute/foo/bar' })
+    })
 
-    this.sandbox.stub(open, 'start').rejects(err)
-    this.exec('open --port 7878')
+    it('calls open.start with absolute --project folder', function () {
+      this.exec('open --project /tmp/foo/bar')
+      expect(open.start).to.be.calledWith({ project: '/tmp/foo/bar' })
+    })
 
-    util.logErrorExit1.callsFake((e) => {
-      expect(e).to.eq(err)
-      done()
+    it('calls open.start with options', function () {
+      // this.sandbox.stub(open, 'start').resolves()
+      this.exec('open --port 7878')
+      expect(open.start).to.be.calledWith({ port: '7878' })
+    })
+
+    it('calls open.start + catches errors', function (done) {
+      const err = new Error('foo')
+
+      open.start.rejects(err)
+      this.exec('open --port 7878')
+
+      util.logErrorExit1.callsFake((e) => {
+        expect(e).to.eq(err)
+        done()
+      })
     })
   })
 
+
   it('install calls install.start with force: true', function () {
     this.sandbox.stub(install, 'start').resolves()
     this.exec('install')
diff --git a/cli/test/lib/exec/open_spec.js b/cli/test/lib/exec/open_spec.js
index b9880fbf96..1e0a35e2af 100644
--- a/cli/test/lib/exec/open_spec.js
+++ b/cli/test/lib/exec/open_spec.js
@@ -66,6 +66,17 @@ describe('exec open', function () {
       })
     })
 
+    it('spawns with --project passed in as options even when not installed globally', function () {
+      util.isInstalledGlobally.returns(false)
+
+      return open.start({ project: '/path/to/project' })
+      .then(() => {
+        expect(spawn.start).to.be.calledWith(
+          ['--project', '/path/to/project']
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
     it('spawns with --project if specified and installed globally', function () {
       return open.start({ project: '/path/to/project' })
       .then(() => {