diff --git a/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectConfigurable.java b/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectConfigurable.java
index 49c054ce1963..d243fd33559e 100644
--- a/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectConfigurable.java
+++ b/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectConfigurable.java
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2000-2024 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
+//
+// Modified by Aleksandr Eliseev at 2026 as part of the OpenIDE project(https://openide.ru).
+// Any modifications are available on the same license terms as the original source code.
 
 package com.intellij.openapi.roots.ui.configuration;
 
@@ -28,8 +31,10 @@ import com.intellij.project.ProjectKt;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NonNls;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+import ru.openide.project.ProjectNameCustomizationState;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
 /**
@@ -149,7 +154,15 @@ public class ProjectConfigurable extends ProjectStructureElementConfigurable<Pro
       myUi.applyProjectJdkConfigurable();
 
       if (myProject instanceof ProjectEx) {
-        ((ProjectEx)myProject).setProjectName(getProjectName());
+        ProjectEx projectEx = (ProjectEx)myProject;
+        String newName = getProjectName();
+        projectEx.setProjectName(newName);
+        // Record whether the user explicitly customized the name.
+        // An external system (e.g. Gradle) sync must not overwrite a customized name;
+        // resetting it to the directory name clears the flag so the sync can drive it again.
+        ProjectNameCustomizationState.Companion.getInstance(myProject).setUserCustomizedName(
+          isCustomProjectName(myProject, newName)
+        );
         if (myDetailsComponent != null) myDetailsComponent.setText(getBannerSlogan());
       }
     });
@@ -211,6 +224,17 @@ public class ProjectConfigurable extends ProjectStructureElementConfigurable<Pro
     return myProject.getName();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns true if the given name is a user customization, i.e. it differs from the project's
+   * directory name (the default project name). Used to decide whether an external system sync may
+   * override the project name.
+   */
+  private static boolean isCustomProjectName(@NotNull Project project, @NotNull String name) {
+    String basePath = project.getBasePath();
+    if (basePath == null) return true;
+    return !name.equals(new File(basePath).getName());
+  }
+
   private @Nullable String getOriginalCompilerOutputUrl() {
     final CompilerProjectExtension extension = CompilerProjectExtension.getInstance(myProject);
     return extension != null ? extension.getCompilerOutputUrl() : null;
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ProjectDataServiceImpl.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ProjectDataServiceImpl.java
index daa832251bf3..5b001f13b764 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ProjectDataServiceImpl.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ProjectDataServiceImpl.java
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2000-2022 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
+//
+// Modified by Aleksandr Eliseev at 2026 as part of the OpenIDE project(https://openide.ru).
+// Any modifications are available on the same license terms as the original source code.
 package com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.model.DataNode;
@@ -10,6 +13,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.IdeModifiableModelsPr
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemApiUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemConstants;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.Order;
+import ru.openide.project.ProjectNameCustomizationState;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.ex.ProjectEx;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus;
@@ -45,9 +49,14 @@ public final class ProjectDataServiceImpl extends AbstractProjectDataService<Pro
     if (!ExternalSystemApiUtil.isOneToOneMapping(project, node.getData(), modelsProvider.getModules())) {
       return;
     }
-    
+
     if (!project.getName().equals(projectData.getInternalName())) {
-      renameProject(projectData.getInternalName(), projectData.getOwner(), project);
+      // Don't overwrite a project name the user has explicitly customized (via File | Project
+      // Structure or Refactor | Rename) when the external (e.g. Gradle) root project name differs.
+      // A Gradle-driven rename (no user customization) still propagates, including across multiple syncs.
+      if (!ProjectNameCustomizationState.Companion.getInstance(project).getUserCustomizedName()) {
+        renameProject(projectData.getInternalName(), projectData.getOwner(), project);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/platform/renameProject/RenameProjectHandler.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/platform/renameProject/RenameProjectHandler.java
index fff45896a01b..c0363eb4161a 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/platform/renameProject/RenameProjectHandler.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/platform/renameProject/RenameProjectHandler.java
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2000-2024 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
+//
+// Modified by Aleksandr Eliseev at 2026 as part of the OpenIDE project(https://openide.ru).
+// Any modifications are available on the same license terms as the original source code.
 package com.intellij.platform.renameProject;
 
 import com.intellij.ide.IdeBundle;
@@ -24,6 +27,9 @@ import com.intellij.refactoring.RefactoringBundle;
 import com.intellij.refactoring.rename.RenameHandler;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+import ru.openide.project.ProjectNameCustomizationState;
+
+import java.io.File;
 
 public final class RenameProjectHandler implements RenameHandler, TitledHandler {
   private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getInstance(RenameProjectHandler.class);
@@ -84,6 +90,13 @@ public final class RenameProjectHandler implements RenameHandler, TitledHandler
   public static boolean renameProject(@NotNull ProjectEx project, @Nullable Module module, String newName){
     if (shouldRenameProject(project, module, newName)) {
       project.setProjectName(newName);
+      // The user explicitly renamed the project from Refactor | Rename. Record it as a
+      // customization so an external system (e.g. Gradle) sync doesn't overwrite it; resetting the
+      // name to the directory name clears it and lets the sync drive the name again.
+      String basePath = project.getBasePath();
+      ProjectNameCustomizationState.Companion.getInstance(project).setUserCustomizedName(
+        basePath == null || !newName.equals(new File(basePath).getName())
+      );
       project.save();
     }
 
@@ -121,4 +134,4 @@ public final class RenameProjectHandler implements RenameHandler, TitledHandler
 
     return module == PrimaryModuleManager.findPrimaryModule(project);
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/ru/openide/project/ProjectNameCustomizationState.kt b/platform/platform-impl/src/ru/openide/project/ProjectNameCustomizationState.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ce6fabcdf191
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/ru/openide/project/ProjectNameCustomizationState.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+// OpenIDE Project
+// Copyright (C) 2026 “Open Development Platform” Ltd. (https://openide.ru)
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 or later as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+// GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+// along with this program. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
+package ru.openide.project
+
+import com.intellij.openapi.components.PersistentStateComponent
+import com.intellij.openapi.components.Service
+import com.intellij.openapi.components.State
+import com.intellij.openapi.components.Storage
+import com.intellij.openapi.components.StoragePathMacros
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project
+import com.intellij.util.xmlb.XmlSerializerUtil
+
+/**
+ * Tracks whether the user has explicitly customized the IDE project name (via File | Project
+ * Structure or Refactor | Rename on the project), as opposed to the name being derived from the
+ * project directory or set by an external system (e.g. Gradle) sync.
+ *
+ * An external system sync that wants to rename the project to match the build model must respect
+ * this flag: once the user has chosen a custom name, the sync must not overwrite it. The flag is
+ * cleared again when the user resets the name to the project directory name, so an external system
+ * can resume driving the name.
+ */
+@Service(Service.Level.PROJECT)
+@State(name = "ProjectNameCustomizationState", storages = [Storage(StoragePathMacros.WORKSPACE_FILE)])
+class ProjectNameCustomizationState : PersistentStateComponent<ProjectNameCustomizationState> {
+
+  companion object {
+    fun getInstance(project: Project): ProjectNameCustomizationState =
+      project.getService(ProjectNameCustomizationState::class.java)
+  }
+
+  var userCustomizedName: Boolean = false
+
+  override fun getState(): ProjectNameCustomizationState = this
+
+  override fun loadState(state: ProjectNameCustomizationState) {
+    XmlSerializerUtil.copyBean(state, this)
+  }
+}