diff --git a/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionmodel.cpp b/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionmodel.cpp
index 440f10417..d2e01da17 100644
--- a/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionmodel.cpp
+++ b/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionmodel.cpp
@@ -526,6 +526,13 @@ void ElementsCollectionModel::removeProject(QETProject *project)
 	if (!m_project_list.contains(project))
 		return;
 
+		//A loading may be setting up this project's items on worker
+		//threads: let it end, and keep the items about to be deleted out of
+		//the list applied when it is finished.
+	m_future.waitForFinished();
+	for (ElementCollectionItem *eci : projectItems(project))
+		m_items_list_to_setUp.removeOne(eci);
+
 	int row = m_project_list.indexOf(project);
 	if (removeRows(row, 1, QModelIndex())) {
 		m_project_list.removeOne(project);
diff --git a/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionwidget.cpp b/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionwidget.cpp
index 98d6b83c9..7d029d593 100644
--- a/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionwidget.cpp
+++ b/sources/ElementsCollection/elementscollectionwidget.cpp
@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ void ElementsCollectionWidget::addProject(QETProject *project)
 }
 
 void ElementsCollectionWidget::removeProject(QETProject *project) {
+		//Before the first load and during a load, the project is also
+		//waiting to be loaded, or in the model being loaded
+	m_waiting_project.removeAll(project);
+	if (m_new_model)
+		m_new_model->removeProject(project);
 	if (m_model)
 		m_model->removeProject(project);
 }
diff --git a/tests/qttest/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/qttest/CMakeLists.txt
index c2566723f..55b60d702 100644
--- a/tests/qttest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/qttest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1449,3 +1449,7 @@ endif()
 # Closing a modified project with Discard left it in the project tree, with
 # items for its freed sheets; a click on one crashed (forum topic 3215).
 qet_add_app_test(tst_elementspanelclosedproject tst_elementspanelclosedproject.cpp)
+
+# A project closed before the element collection panel's first load, or during
+# a load, stayed in the collection and the next reload read the freed project.
+qet_add_app_test(tst_collectionclosedproject tst_collectionclosedproject.cpp)
diff --git a/tests/qttest/tst_collectionclosedproject.cpp b/tests/qttest/tst_collectionclosedproject.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4c5d54f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qttest/tst_collectionclosedproject.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+#include "qetapptest.h"
+
+#include "ElementsCollection/elementscollectionmodel.h"
+#include "ElementsCollection/elementscollectionwidget.h"
+#include "qetproject.h"
+
+#include <QTreeView>
+
+// A project closed while the element collection panel has not loaded yet, or
+// while it is loading, stayed in the collection: the next reload read the
+// freed project (crash in XmlElementCollection::root() from
+// ElementsCollectionWidget::reload()).
+class tst_collectionclosedproject : public QObject
+{
+	Q_OBJECT
+
+		/// The collection's tree (not the macros one): reload() disables it
+		/// until the loading has finished.
+	static QTreeView *loadingView(ElementsCollectionWidget &w)
+	{
+		for (QTreeView *v : w.findChildren<QTreeView *>())
+			if (!v->isEnabled()) return v;
+		return nullptr;
+	}
+
+		/// Reload and wait for the loading to finish.
+	static ElementsCollectionModel *reloadAndWait(ElementsCollectionWidget &w)
+	{
+		w.reload();
+		QTreeView *main_view = loadingView(w);
+		if (!main_view) return nullptr;
+		if (!QTest::qWaitFor([main_view]() { return main_view->isEnabled(); }, 300000))
+			return nullptr;
+		return qobject_cast<ElementsCollectionModel *>(main_view->model());
+	}
+
+	private slots:
+		void closedBeforeFirstLoad()
+		{
+			ElementsCollectionWidget w;
+			QETProject kept;
+			QETProject closed;
+			w.addProject(&kept);
+			w.addProject(&closed);
+			w.removeProject(&closed);
+
+			ElementsCollectionModel *model = reloadAndWait(w);
+			QVERIFY(model);
+			QVERIFY(model->project().contains(&kept));
+			QVERIFY2(!model->project().contains(&closed),
+				"a project closed before the first load is still in the collection");
+		}
+
+		void closedWhileLoading()
+		{
+			ElementsCollectionWidget w;
+			QETProject kept;
+			QETProject closed;
+			QVERIFY(reloadAndWait(w));
+			w.addProject(&kept);
+			w.addProject(&closed);
+
+				// A second load starts; the project is closed before it ends.
+			w.reload();
+			QTreeView *main_view = loadingView(w);
+			QVERIFY(main_view);
+			w.removeProject(&closed);
+			QTRY_VERIFY_WITH_TIMEOUT(main_view->isEnabled(), 300000);
+
+			auto *model = qobject_cast<ElementsCollectionModel *>(main_view->model());
+			QVERIFY(model);
+			QVERIFY(model->project().contains(&kept));
+			QVERIFY2(!model->project().contains(&closed),
+				"a project closed during a load is still in the collection");
+		}
+};
+
+QET_APP_TEST_MAIN(tst_collectionclosedproject)
+
+#include "tst_collectionclosedproject.moc"