diff --git a/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/settings/AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.java b/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/settings/AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.java
index b975789e5064..74d74e25ceba 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/settings/AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/settings/AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.java
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings {
   private final AtomicReference<ExternalProjectsViewState> myExternalProjectsViewState = new AtomicReference<>(
     new ExternalProjectsViewState()
   );
+  private final AtomicReference<Map<String/* external project config path */, SyncType>> myProjectSyncType =
+    new AtomicReference<>(ContainerUtilRt.<String, SyncType>newHashMap());
 
   @NotNull private final ProjectSystemId myExternalSystemId;
   @NotNull private final Project         myProject;
@@ -129,6 +131,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings {
       }
     }
 
+    for (Iterator<Map.Entry<String, SyncType>> it = myProjectSyncType.get().entrySet().iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+      Map.Entry<String, SyncType> entry = it.next();
+      if (linkedProjectPathsToForget.contains(entry.getKey())
+          || linkedProjectPathsToForget.contains(ExternalSystemApiUtil.getRootProjectPath(entry.getKey(), myExternalSystemId, myProject)))
+      {
+        it.remove();
+      }
+    }
+
     Map<String, Long> modificationStamps = myExternalConfigModificationStamps.get();
     for (String path : linkedProjectPathsToForget) {
       modificationStamps.remove(path);
@@ -200,6 +211,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings {
     myExternalProjectsViewState.set(externalProjectsViewState);
   }
 
+  @NotNull
+  public Map<String, SyncType> getProjectSyncType() {
+    return myProjectSyncType.get();
+  }
+
+  @SuppressWarnings("UnusedDeclaration")
+  public void setProjectSyncType(@NotNull Map<String, SyncType> projectSyncType) {
+    // Required for IJ serialization.
+    myProjectSyncType.set(projectSyncType);
+  }
   public void fillState(@NotNull State state) {
     if (PRESERVE_EXPAND_STATE) {
       state.tasksExpandState = myExpandStates.get();
@@ -213,6 +234,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings {
     state.modificationStamps = myExternalConfigModificationStamps.get();
     state.projectBuildClasspath = myProjectBuildClasspath.get();
     state.externalProjectsViewState = myExternalProjectsViewState.get();
+    state.projectSyncType = myProjectSyncType.get();
   }
 
   public void loadState(@NotNull State state) {
@@ -221,6 +243,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings {
     setIfNotNull(myAvailableTasks, state.availableTasks);
     setIfNotNull(myExternalConfigModificationStamps, state.modificationStamps);
     setIfNotNull(myProjectBuildClasspath, state.projectBuildClasspath);
+    setIfNotNull(myProjectSyncType, state.projectSyncType);
     myExternalProjectsViewState.set(state.externalProjectsViewState);
     if (state.recentTasks != null) {
       List<ExternalTaskExecutionInfo> recentTasks = myRecentTasks.get();
@@ -281,5 +304,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings {
       = ContainerUtilRt.newHashMap();
     public Map<String/* linked project path */, ExternalProjectBuildClasspathPojo> projectBuildClasspath = ContainerUtilRt.newHashMap();
     public ExternalProjectsViewState externalProjectsViewState;
+    public Map<String/* linked project path */, SyncType> projectSyncType = ContainerUtilRt.newHashMap();
+  }
+
+  public enum SyncType {
+    PREVIEW, IMPORT, RE_IMPORT
   }
 }
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java
index 2e5dcff001a8..a7c6b25990cf 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.model.ProjectKeys;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.model.project.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.IdeModelsProvider;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.IdeModifiableModelsProvider;
+import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.settings.AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings;
+import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.settings.AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.SyncType;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemApiUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemBundle;
 import com.intellij.openapi.module.*;
@@ -248,10 +250,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractModuleDataService<E extends ModuleData> extends Ab
           return;
         }
 
+        AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings localSettings = ExternalSystemApiUtil.getLocalSettings(project, projectData.getOwner());
+        SyncType syncType = localSettings.getProjectSyncType().get(projectData.getLinkedExternalProjectPath());
         for (Module module : modules) {
           if (module.isDisposed()) continue;
           String path = module.getModuleFilePath();
-          if (!ApplicationManager.getApplication().isHeadlessEnvironment()) {
+          if (!ApplicationManager.getApplication().isHeadlessEnvironment() && syncType == SyncType.RE_IMPORT) {
             try {
               // we need to save module configuration before dispose, to get the up-to-date content of the unlinked module iml
               ServiceKt.getStateStore(module).save(new ArrayList<>());
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/util/ExternalSystemUtil.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/util/ExternalSystemUtil.java
index 3b87c4dfe407..9d03b0f1f65d 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/util/ExternalSystemUtil.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/util/ExternalSystemUtil.java
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage.ContentRootDat
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage.ExternalProjectsManagerImpl;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage.ExternalSystemTaskActivator;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage.ProjectDataManagerImpl;
+import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.settings.AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.settings.AbstractExternalSystemSettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.settings.ExternalProjectSettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.task.TaskCallback;
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import static com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.settings.AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.SyncType.*;
 import static com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemApiUtil.doWriteAction;
 import static com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil.*;
 
@@ -390,6 +392,13 @@ public class ExternalSystemUtil {
     else {
       projectName = projectFile.getName();
     }
+
+    AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings localSettings = ExternalSystemApiUtil.getLocalSettings(project, externalSystemId);
+    AbstractExternalSystemLocalSettings.SyncType syncType =
+      isPreviewMode ? PREVIEW :
+      localSettings.getProjectSyncType().get(externalProjectPath) == PREVIEW ? IMPORT : RE_IMPORT;
+    localSettings.getProjectSyncType().put(externalProjectPath, syncType);
+
     final ExternalSystemResolveProjectTask myTask =
       new ExternalSystemResolveProjectTask(externalSystemId, project, externalProjectPath, vmOptions, arguments, isPreviewMode);