diff --git a/pkg/occlient/occlient.go b/pkg/occlient/occlient.go
index fae94cab5..a0cb6fd44 100644
--- a/pkg/occlient/occlient.go
+++ b/pkg/occlient/occlient.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import (
 	routev1 "github.com/openshift/api/route/v1"
 	oauthv1client "github.com/openshift/client-go/oauth/clientset/versioned/typed/oauth/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	kerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
 	// utilities
@@ -470,6 +471,26 @@ func (c *Client) GetProjectNames() ([]string, error) {
 	return projectNames, nil
 }
 
+// GetProject returns project based on the name of the project.Errors related to
+// project not being found or forbidden are translated to nil project for compatibility
+func (c *Client) GetProject(projectName string) (*projectv1.Project, error) {
+	prj, err := c.projectClient.Projects().Get(projectName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		istatus, ok := err.(kerrors.APIStatus)
+		if ok {
+			status := istatus.Status()
+			if status.Reason == metav1.StatusReasonNotFound || status.Reason == metav1.StatusReasonForbidden {
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		} else {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+	}
+	return prj, err
+
+}
+
 // CreateNewProject creates project with given projectName
 func (c *Client) CreateNewProject(projectName string, wait bool) error {
 	projectRequest := &projectv1.ProjectRequest{
diff --git a/pkg/project/project.go b/pkg/project/project.go
index 25432e6c3..a0b7742aa 100644
--- a/pkg/project/project.go
+++ b/pkg/project/project.go
@@ -69,21 +69,17 @@ func DescribeProjects(client *occlient.Client) (ProjectList, error) {
 	return getMachineReadableFormatForList(projects), nil
 }
 
-// Checks whether a project with the given name exists or not
+// Exists Checks whether a project with the given name exists or not
 // projectName is the project name to perform check for
 // The first returned parameter is a bool indicating if a project with the given name already exists or not
 // The second returned parameter is the error that might occurs while execution
 func Exists(client *occlient.Client, projectName string) (bool, error) {
-	projects, err := client.GetProjectNames()
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to get the project list")
+	project, err := client.GetProject(projectName)
+	if err != nil || project == nil {
+		return false, err
 	}
-	for _, project := range projects {
-		if project == projectName {
-			return true, nil
-		}
-	}
-	return false, nil
+
+	return true, nil
 }
 
 func GetMachineReadableFormat(projectName string, isActive bool, apps []string) Project {
diff --git a/tests/integration/component.go b/tests/integration/component.go
index 1e028083f..9433b8cd2 100644
--- a/tests/integration/component.go
+++ b/tests/integration/component.go
@@ -260,20 +260,22 @@ func componentTests(args ...string) {
 	})
 
 	Context("Creating Component even in new project", func() {
+		var project string
 		JustBeforeEach(func() {
 			context = helper.CreateNewContext()
+			project = helper.RandString(10)
 		})
 
 		JustAfterEach(func() {
 			os.RemoveAll(context)
+			helper.DeleteProject(project)
 		})
 		It("should create component", func() {
-			helper.CmdShouldPass("odo", append(args, "create", "nodejs", "cmp-git", "--git", "https://github.com/openshift/nodejs-ex", "--project", "new-project", "--context", context, "--app", "testing")...)
+			helper.CmdShouldPass("odo", append(args, "create", "nodejs", "cmp-git", "--git", "https://github.com/openshift/nodejs-ex", "--project", project, "--context", context, "--app", "testing")...)
 			helper.CmdShouldPass("odo", "push", "--context", context, "-v4")
-			oc.SwitchProject("new-project")
+			oc.SwitchProject(project)
 			projectList := helper.CmdShouldPass("odo", "project", "list")
-			Expect(projectList).To(ContainSubstring("new-project"))
-			helper.DeleteProject("new-project")
+			Expect(projectList).To(ContainSubstring(project))
 		})
 	})