diff --git a/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/BazelPluginActivator.java b/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/BazelPluginActivator.java
index 0838e18d..b04cff89 100644
--- a/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/BazelPluginActivator.java
+++ b/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/BazelPluginActivator.java
@@ -352,7 +352,6 @@ public void closeBazelWorkspace() {
         // now forget about the workspace
         bazelWorkspace = null;
         bazelWorkspaceCommandRunner = null;
-        configurationManager.setBazelWorkspacePath(null);
     }
 
     // TEST ONLY
diff --git a/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/projectimport/flow/LoadAspectsFlow.java b/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/projectimport/flow/LoadAspectsFlow.java
index 1bcb61ef..ed39e909 100644
--- a/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/projectimport/flow/LoadAspectsFlow.java
+++ b/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/projectimport/flow/LoadAspectsFlow.java
@@ -86,11 +86,23 @@ public void run(ImportContext ctx, SubMonitor progressMonitor) {
         try {
             Map<BazelLabel, Set<AspectTargetInfo>> targetInfos =
                     bazelWorkspaceCmdRunner.getAspectTargetInfos(labels, "importWorkspace");
+
+            if (targetInfos.isEmpty()) {
+                BazelPluginActivator.getInstance().closeBazelWorkspace();
+                throw new IllegalStateException(
+                    "Bazel could not provide any information about the selected project(s). "
+                            + "This usually means there is a Bazel build error in the underlying packages being imported.\n\n"
+                            + "Please run a command line build for these packages to verify they build correctly.");
+            }
+
             List<AspectTargetInfo> allTargetInfos = new ArrayList<>();
             for (Set<AspectTargetInfo> targetTargetInfos : targetInfos.values()) {
                 allTargetInfos.addAll(targetTargetInfos);
             }
             ctx.setAspectTargetInfos(new AspectTargetInfos(allTargetInfos));
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            // the error dialog looks better if we dont wrap the exception, so dont do it unless we have to
+            throw e;
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
diff --git a/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/runtime/impl/EclipseResourceHelper.java b/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/runtime/impl/EclipseResourceHelper.java
index 0d53b8f8..29cef84a 100644
--- a/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/runtime/impl/EclipseResourceHelper.java
+++ b/bundles/com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.core/src/main/java/com/salesforce/bazel/eclipse/runtime/impl/EclipseResourceHelper.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.debug.core.ILaunch;
 import org.eclipse.debug.core.model.IProcess;
 import org.eclipse.jface.preference.IPreferenceStore;
+import org.osgi.service.prefs.BackingStoreException;
 import org.osgi.service.prefs.Preferences;
 
 import com.salesforce.bazel.eclipse.BazelPluginActivator;
@@ -138,6 +139,12 @@ public Preferences getProjectBazelPreferences(IProject project) {
             LOG.error("Could not find the Preferences node for the Bazel plugin for project [{}]", project.getName());
         }
 
+        try {
+            eclipseProjectPrefs.sync();
+        } catch (BackingStoreException bse) {
+            LOG.error("Could not read Eclipse preferences for project [{}]", project.getName(), bse);
+        }
+
         return eclipseProjectPrefs;
     }
 
@@ -279,7 +286,7 @@ public void createFolderLink(IFolder thisFolder, IPath bazelWorkspaceLocation, i
             IProgressMonitor monitor) {
         try {
             LOG.debug("createFolderLink: thisFolder=" + thisFolder.getLocation().toOSString()
-                    + " bazelWorkspaceLocation=" + bazelWorkspaceLocation.toOSString());
+                + " bazelWorkspaceLocation=" + bazelWorkspaceLocation.toOSString());
             thisFolder.createLink(bazelWorkspaceLocation, updateFlags, monitor);
         } catch (Exception anyE) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(anyE);