diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/ConfigService.ts b/apps/server/src/services/ConfigService.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc38f68fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/ConfigService.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { Low } from 'lowdb';
+import { JSONFile } from 'lowdb/node';
+import { join } from 'path';
+
+import { getAppDataPath } from '../setup.js';
+
+interface Config {
+  lastLoadedProject: string;
+}
+
+class ConfigService {
+  private config: Low<Config>;
+  private configPath: string;
+
+  constructor() {
+    this.configPath = join(getAppDataPath(), 'config.json');
+    const adapter = new JSONFile<Config>(this.configPath);
+    this.config = new Low<Config>(adapter);
+
+    this.init();
+  }
+
+  private async init() {
+    await this.config.read();
+    await this.config.write();
+  }
+
+  async getConfig(): Promise<Config> {
+    await this.config.read();
+    return this.config.data;
+  }
+
+  async updateDatabaseConfig(filename: string): Promise<void> {
+    if (process.env.IS_TEST) return;
+
+    this.config.data.lastLoadedProject = filename;
+    await this.config.write();
+  }
+}
+
+export const configService = new ConfigService();
diff --git a/apps/server/src/setup.ts b/apps/server/src/setup.ts
index efd83524e..9d4285ea8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/setup.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/setup.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 import path, { dirname, join } from 'path';
+import fs from 'fs';
+
 import { config } from './config/config.js';
 
 // =================================================
@@ -69,12 +71,23 @@ export const currentDirectory = dirname(__dirname);
 const testDbStartDirectory = isTest ? '../' : getAppDataPath();
 export const externalsStartDirectory = isProduction ? getAppDataPath() : join(currentDirectory, 'external');
 
+const lastLoadedProjectConfigPath = join(getAppDataPath(), 'config.json');
+
+let lastLoadedProject;
+
+try {
+  lastLoadedProject = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(lastLoadedProjectConfigPath, 'utf8')).lastLoadedProject;
+} catch {
+  if (!isTest) {
+    fs.writeFileSync(lastLoadedProjectConfigPath, JSON.stringify({ lastLoadedProject: null }));
+  }
+}
+
+const configDbDirectory = lastLoadedProject ? 'uploads' : config.database.directory;
+
 // path to public db
-export const resolveDbDirectory = join(
-  testDbStartDirectory,
-  isTest ? config.database.testdb : config.database.directory,
-);
-export const resolveDbPath = join(resolveDbDirectory, config.database.filename);
+export const resolveDbDirectory = join(testDbStartDirectory, isTest ? config.database.testdb : configDbDirectory);
+export const resolveDbPath = join(resolveDbDirectory, lastLoadedProject ? lastLoadedProject : config.database.filename);
 
 export const pathToStartDb = isTest
   ? join(currentDirectory, '../', config.database.testdb, config.database.filename)
diff --git a/apps/server/src/utils/parser.ts b/apps/server/src/utils/parser.ts
index 94431631a..b443cb768 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/utils/parser.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/utils/parser.ts
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ import {
 
 import fs from 'fs';
 import xlsx from 'node-xlsx';
+import path from 'path';
 
 import { event as eventDef } from '../models/eventsDefinition.js';
 import { dbModel } from '../models/dataModel.js';
-import { deleteFile, makeString } from './parserUtils.js';
+import { makeString } from './parserUtils.js';
 import {
   parseAliases,
   parseProject,
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ import {
   parseViewSettings,
 } from './parserFunctions.js';
 import { parseExcelDate } from './time.js';
+import { configService } from '../services/ConfigService.js';
 
 export const EXCEL_MIME = 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet';
 export const JSON_MIME = 'application/json';
@@ -350,6 +352,8 @@ type ResponseOK = {
 export const fileHandler = async (file: string, options: ExcelImportOptions): Promise<Partial<ResponseOK>> => {
   const res: Partial<ResponseOK> = {};
 
+  const fileName = path.basename(file);
+
   // check which file type are we dealing with
   if (file.endsWith('.xlsx')) {
     // we need to check that the options are applicable
@@ -374,6 +378,9 @@ export const fileHandler = async (file: string, options: ExcelImportOptions): Pr
     }
     res.data.project = parseProject(dataFromExcel);
     res.data.userFields = parseUserFields(dataFromExcel);
+
+    await configService.updateDatabaseConfig(fileName);
+
     return res;
   }
 
@@ -385,8 +392,8 @@ export const fileHandler = async (file: string, options: ExcelImportOptions): Pr
     uploadedJson = JSON.parse(rawdata);
     res.data = await parseJson(uploadedJson);
 
-    // delete file
-    await deleteFile(file);
+    await configService.updateDatabaseConfig(fileName);
+
     return res;
   }
 };
diff --git a/apps/server/src/utils/upload.js b/apps/server/src/utils/upload.js
index 337552f1e..1cb65938d 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/utils/upload.js
+++ b/apps/server/src/utils/upload.js
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ const storage = multer.diskStorage({
     ensureDirectory(newDestination);
     cb(null, newDestination);
   },
-  filename: function (req, file, cb) {
-    cb(null, `${Date.now()}--${file.originalname}`);
+  filename: function (_, file, cb) {
+    cb(null, file.originalname);
   },
 });