diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/commands/project/GetProjectMetadataCommand.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/commands/project/GetProjectMetadataCommand.java
index 3442c8066..9e7337f87 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/commands/project/GetProjectMetadataCommand.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/commands/project/GetProjectMetadataCommand.java
@@ -50,9 +50,15 @@ public class GetProjectMetadataCommand extends Command {
     public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)
             throws ServletException, IOException {
         
-        Project project = getProject(request);
-        
         try {
+            Project project;
+            try {
+                project = getProject(request);
+            } catch (ServletException e) {
+                respond(response, "error", e.getLocalizedMessage());
+                return;
+            }
+            
             respondJSON(response, ProjectManager.singleton.getProjectMetadata(project.id));
         } catch (JSONException e) {
             respondException(response, e);
diff --git a/main/webapp/modules/core/MOD-INF/controller.js b/main/webapp/modules/core/MOD-INF/controller.js
index 95efb0d5a..676b68ac6 100644
--- a/main/webapp/modules/core/MOD-INF/controller.js
+++ b/main/webapp/modules/core/MOD-INF/controller.js
@@ -571,8 +571,10 @@ function process(path, request, response) {
           params.put(name, request.getParameterValues(name)[0]);
         }
         context.params = params;
-        context.projectID = request.getParameter("project");
-
+        
+        // We prepend '' to convert the Java string to a Javascript string.
+        context.projectID = ('' + request.getParameter("project")).replace(/\D/g, '');
+        
         var styles = ClientSideResourceManager.getPaths(lastSegment + "/styles");
         var styleInjection = [];
         for each (var qualifiedPath in styles) {
diff --git a/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js b/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js
index ff128c812..e6e8bdb06 100644
--- a/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js
+++ b/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js
@@ -153,21 +153,32 @@ Refine.setTitle = function(status) {
   $("#project-name-button").text(theProject.metadata.name);
 };
 
-Refine.reinitializeProjectData = function(f) {
-  Ajax.chainGetJSON(
+Refine.reinitializeProjectData = function(f, fError) {
+  $.getJSON(
     "/command/core/get-project-metadata?" + $.param({ project: theProject.id }), null,
     function(data) {
-      theProject.metadata = data;
-    },
-    "/command/core/get-models?" + $.param({ project: theProject.id }), null,
-    function(data) {
-      for (var n in data) {
-        if (data.hasOwnProperty(n)) {
-          theProject[n] = data[n];
+      if (data.status == 'error') {
+        alert(data.message);
+        if (fError) {
+          fError();
         }
+      } else {
+        theProject.metadata = data;
+        $.getJSON(
+          "/command/core/get-models?" + $.param({ project: theProject.id }), null,
+          function(data) {
+            for (var n in data) {
+              if (data.hasOwnProperty(n)) {
+                theProject[n] = data[n];
+              }
+            }
+            f();
+          },
+          'json'
+        );
       }
     },
-    f
+    'json'
   );
 };
 
@@ -442,9 +453,14 @@ function onLoad() {
       }
     }
 
-    Refine.reinitializeProjectData(function() {
-      initializeUI(uiState);
-    });
+    Refine.reinitializeProjectData(
+      function() {
+        initializeUI(uiState);
+      },
+      function() {
+        $("#loading-message").hide();
+      }
+    );
   }
 }