diff --git a/extras/Projucer/Source/Application/jucer_MainWindow.cpp b/extras/Projucer/Source/Application/jucer_MainWindow.cpp
index faaf6409ab..77fcd794cf 100644
--- a/extras/Projucer/Source/Application/jucer_MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/extras/Projucer/Source/Application/jucer_MainWindow.cpp
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ bool MainWindowList::openFile (const File& file, bool openInBackground)
 
     if (file.hasFileExtension (Project::projectFileExtension))
     {
-        auto previousFrontWindow = getFrontmostWindow();
+        WeakReference<Component> previousFrontWindow (getFrontmostWindow());
 
         auto* w = getOrCreateEmptyWindow();
         bool ok = w->openFile (file);
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ bool MainWindowList::openFile (const File& file, bool openInBackground)
             closeWindow (w);
         }
 
-        if (openInBackground && (previousFrontWindow != nullptr))
+        if (openInBackground && previousFrontWindow != nullptr)
             previousFrontWindow->toFront (true);
 
         return ok;