diff --git a/src/io/flutter/FlutterStudioStartupActivity.java b/src/io/flutter/FlutterStudioStartupActivity.java
index b1ba7d6ed..ca501d0ae 100644
--- a/src/io/flutter/FlutterStudioStartupActivity.java
+++ b/src/io/flutter/FlutterStudioStartupActivity.java
@@ -5,19 +5,31 @@
  */
 package io.flutter;
 
+import com.intellij.ide.projectView.ProjectView;
+import com.intellij.ide.util.PropertiesComponent;
 import com.intellij.openapi.application.ReadAction;
+import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.util.concurrency.AppExecutorUtil;
 import io.flutter.android.AndroidModuleLibraryManager;
 import io.flutter.dart.FlutterDartAnalysisServer;
+import io.flutter.logging.PluginLogger;
 import io.flutter.settings.FlutterSettings;
 import io.flutter.utils.AddToAppUtils;
 import io.flutter.utils.AndroidUtils;
+import io.flutter.utils.FlutterModuleUtils;
 import io.flutter.utils.GradleUtils;
+import io.flutter.utils.OpenApiUtils;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
 public class FlutterStudioStartupActivity extends FlutterProjectActivity {
+  private static @NotNull Logger LOG = PluginLogger.createLogger(FlutterStudioStartupActivity.class);
+  private static final String IS_FIRST_OPEN_KEY = "io.flutter.project.isFirstOpen";
+  private static final String PROJECT_VIEW_ID = "ProjectPane";
+
   private static Void doNonBlockingStartup(@NotNull Project project) {
+    LOG.info("Project " + project.getName() + ": Executing non-blocking Studio startup");
+
     if (AndroidUtils.isAndroidProject(project)) {
       GradleUtils.addGradleListeners(project);
     }
@@ -40,5 +52,29 @@ private static Void doNonBlockingStartup(@NotNull Project project) {
   public void executeProjectStartup(@NotNull Project project) {
     ReadAction.nonBlocking(() -> doNonBlockingStartup(project)).expireWith(FlutterDartAnalysisServer.getInstance(project))
       .submit(AppExecutorUtil.getAppExecutorService());
+
+    if (!FlutterModuleUtils.declaresFlutter(project)) {
+      LOG.info("Project " + project.getName() + ": does not declare Flutter; exiting Studio startup before checking project view");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Set project tool window to show the project on first open (Android Studio sometimes opens android view instead).
+    // See https://github.com/flutter/flutter-intellij/issues/8556.
+    // Note: After showing the project view, subsequent opens should go to the project view also. However, if the android subdirectory is
+    // opened, it seems the full project settings will be modified to open to the Android view instead. See
+    // https://github.com/flutter/flutter-intellij/pull/8573 for more details.
+    PropertiesComponent properties = PropertiesComponent.getInstance(project);
+    if (properties == null) return;
+    if (!properties.isValueSet(IS_FIRST_OPEN_KEY)) {
+      OpenApiUtils.safeInvokeLater(() -> {
+        ProjectView projectView = ProjectView.getInstance(project);
+        if (projectView == null) return;
+        if (projectView.getPaneIds().contains(PROJECT_VIEW_ID)) {
+          LOG.info("Project " + project.getName() + ": Setting project tool window to be project view on first open");
+          projectView.changeView(PROJECT_VIEW_ID);
+        }
+      });
+      properties.setValue(IS_FIRST_OPEN_KEY, "true");
+    }
   }
 }