diff --git a/assets/settings/default.json b/assets/settings/default.json
index 671653708d..aba8037190 100644
--- a/assets/settings/default.json
+++ b/assets/settings/default.json
@@ -210,6 +210,13 @@
   //  3. Never close the window
   //         "when_closing_with_no_tabs": "keep_window_open",
   "when_closing_with_no_tabs": "platform_default",
+  // What to show when opening a new window.
+  // May take 2 values:
+  //  1. Show an empty untitled buffer
+  //         "on_new_window": "empty_tab"
+  //  2. Show the launchpad with recent projects
+  //         "on_new_window": "launchpad"
+  "on_new_window": "launchpad",
   // What to do when the last window is closed.
   // May take 2 values:
   //  1. Use the current platform's convention
diff --git a/crates/settings/src/vscode_import.rs b/crates/settings/src/vscode_import.rs
index 3e25d4ecc6..a776e23df9 100644
--- a/crates/settings/src/vscode_import.rs
+++ b/crates/settings/src/vscode_import.rs
@@ -1062,6 +1062,7 @@ impl VsCodeSettings {
             } else {
                 None
             },
+            on_new_window: None,
             on_last_window_closed: None,
             pane_split_direction_horizontal: None,
             pane_split_direction_vertical: None,
diff --git a/crates/settings_content/src/workspace.rs b/crates/settings_content/src/workspace.rs
index 7aa8bc42a8..cfe76bb4ca 100644
--- a/crates/settings_content/src/workspace.rs
+++ b/crates/settings_content/src/workspace.rs
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@ pub struct WorkspaceSettingsContent {
     ///
     /// Default: none
     pub max_tabs: Option<NonZeroUsize>,
+    /// What to show when opening a new window.
+    /// Values: empty_tab, launchpad
+    /// Default: launchpad
+    pub on_new_window: Option<OnNewWindow>,
     /// What to do when the last window is closed
     ///
     /// Default: auto (nothing on macOS, "app quit" otherwise)
@@ -683,6 +687,29 @@ pub struct CenteredLayoutSettings {
     pub right_padding: Option<CenteredPaddingSettings>,
 }
 
+#[derive(
+    Copy,
+    Clone,
+    Default,
+    Serialize,
+    Deserialize,
+    JsonSchema,
+    MergeFrom,
+    PartialEq,
+    Eq,
+    Debug,
+    strum::VariantArray,
+    strum::VariantNames,
+)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum OnNewWindow {
+    /// Show an empty untitled buffer when opening a new window
+    EmptyTab,
+    /// Show the launchpad with recent projects when opening a new window
+    #[default]
+    Launchpad,
+}
+
 #[derive(
     Copy,
     Clone,
diff --git a/crates/settings_ui/src/page_data.rs b/crates/settings_ui/src/page_data.rs
index 5d3a5f7ce9..6d328ca24c 100644
--- a/crates/settings_ui/src/page_data.rs
+++ b/crates/settings_ui/src/page_data.rs
@@ -172,6 +172,20 @@ fn general_page(cx: &App) -> SettingsPage {
                 metadata: None,
                 files: USER,
             }),
+            SettingsPageItem::SettingItem(SettingItem {
+                title: "On New Window",
+                description: "What to show when opening a new window.",
+                field: Box::new(SettingField {
+                    organization_override: None,
+                    json_path: Some("on_new_window"),
+                    pick: |settings_content| settings_content.workspace.on_new_window.as_ref(),
+                    write: |settings_content, value, _| {
+                        settings_content.workspace.on_new_window = value;
+                    },
+                }),
+                metadata: None,
+                files: USER,
+            }),
             SettingsPageItem::SettingItem(SettingItem {
                 title: "On Last Window Closed",
                 description: "What to do when the last window is closed.",
diff --git a/crates/settings_ui/src/settings_ui.rs b/crates/settings_ui/src/settings_ui.rs
index eee5c6e3ec..7f4d4c53b5 100644
--- a/crates/settings_ui/src/settings_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/settings_ui/src/settings_ui.rs
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ fn init_renderers(cx: &mut App) {
         .add_basic_renderer::<settings::SaturatingBool>(render_toggle_button)
         .add_basic_renderer::<settings::CursorShape>(render_dropdown)
         .add_basic_renderer::<settings::RestoreOnStartupBehavior>(render_dropdown)
+        .add_basic_renderer::<settings::OnNewWindow>(render_dropdown)
         .add_basic_renderer::<settings::BottomDockLayout>(render_dropdown)
         .add_basic_renderer::<settings::OnLastWindowClosed>(render_dropdown)
         .add_basic_renderer::<settings::CliDefaultOpenBehavior>(render_dropdown)
diff --git a/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs b/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs
index b88658fea4..2a84de6fb2 100644
--- a/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ pub struct WorkspaceSettings {
     pub command_aliases: HashMap<String, CommandAliasTarget>,
     pub max_tabs: Option<NonZeroUsize>,
     pub when_closing_with_no_tabs: settings::CloseWindowWhenNoItems,
+    pub on_new_window: settings::OnNewWindow,
     pub on_last_window_closed: settings::OnLastWindowClosed,
     pub text_rendering_mode: settings::TextRenderingMode,
     pub resize_all_panels_in_dock: Vec<DockPosition>,
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ impl Settings for WorkspaceSettings {
             command_aliases: workspace.command_aliases.clone(),
             max_tabs: workspace.max_tabs,
             when_closing_with_no_tabs: workspace.when_closing_with_no_tabs.unwrap(),
+            on_new_window: workspace.on_new_window.unwrap(),
             on_last_window_closed: workspace.on_last_window_closed.unwrap(),
             text_rendering_mode: workspace.text_rendering_mode.unwrap(),
             resize_all_panels_in_dock: workspace
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
index 0f7c563b39..ebe3776df3 100644
--- a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
+++ b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
@@ -1340,24 +1340,7 @@ fn register_actions(
                     cx,
                     |workspace, window, cx| {
                         cx.activate(true);
-                        // Create buffer synchronously to avoid flicker
-                        let project = workspace.project().clone();
-                        let buffer = project.update(cx, |project, cx| {
-                            project.create_local_buffer("", None, true, cx)
-                        });
-                        buffer.update(cx, |buffer, _| {
-                            buffer.set_content_language_detection_enabled(true);
-                        });
-                        let editor = cx.new(|cx| {
-                            Editor::for_buffer(buffer, Some(project), window, cx)
-                        });
-                        workspace.add_item_to_active_pane(
-                            Box::new(editor),
-                            None,
-                            true,
-                            window,
-                            cx,
-                        );
+                        initialize_new_window(workspace, window, cx);
                     },
                 )
                 .detach();
@@ -2418,6 +2401,30 @@ fn filter_disabled_ai_bindings(bindings: Vec<KeyBinding>, cx: &App) -> Vec<KeyBi
         .collect()
 }
 
+/// Populates a freshly opened window according to the `on_new_window` setting.
+///
+/// For `EmptyTab` this opens an empty buffer. For `Launchpad` the window is left
+/// without any items so the pane falls back to displaying the Launchpad.
+fn initialize_new_window(
+    workspace: &mut Workspace,
+    window: &mut Window,
+    cx: &mut Context<Workspace>,
+) {
+    if WorkspaceSettings::get_global(cx).on_new_window == settings::OnNewWindow::Launchpad {
+        return;
+    }
+    // Create buffer synchronously to avoid flicker
+    let project = workspace.project().clone();
+    let buffer = project.update(cx, |project, cx| {
+        project.create_local_buffer("", None, true, cx)
+    });
+    buffer.update(cx, |buffer, _| {
+        buffer.set_content_language_detection_enabled(true);
+    });
+    let editor = cx.new(|cx| Editor::for_buffer(buffer, Some(project), window, cx));
+    workspace.add_item_to_active_pane(Box::new(editor), None, true, window, cx);
+}
+
 pub fn open_new_ssh_project_from_project(
     workspace: &mut Workspace,
     paths: Vec<PathBuf>,
@@ -3779,6 +3786,50 @@ mod tests {
             .unwrap();
     }
 
+    #[gpui::test]
+    async fn test_new_window_launchpad_opens_without_items(cx: &mut TestAppContext) {
+        let app_state = init_test(cx);
+        cx.update(|cx| {
+            SettingsStore::update_global(cx, |store, cx| {
+                store.update_user_settings(cx, |settings| {
+                    settings.workspace.on_new_window = Some(settings::OnNewWindow::Launchpad);
+                });
+            });
+        });
+
+        cx.update(|cx| {
+            open_new(
+                Default::default(),
+                app_state.clone(),
+                cx,
+                |workspace, window, cx| initialize_new_window(workspace, window, cx),
+            )
+        })
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+        cx.run_until_parked();
+
+        let multi_workspace = cx
+            .update(|cx| cx.windows().first().unwrap().downcast::<MultiWorkspace>())
+            .unwrap();
+
+        multi_workspace
+            .update(cx, |multi_workspace, _, cx| {
+                multi_workspace.workspace().update(cx, |workspace, cx| {
+                    assert!(
+                        workspace.active_item(cx).is_none(),
+                        "launchpad window should not open any items"
+                    );
+                    assert_eq!(
+                        workspace.active_pane().read(cx).items_len(),
+                        0,
+                        "launchpad window should have an empty pane so the launchpad is shown"
+                    );
+                });
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
     #[gpui::test]
     async fn test_open_entry(cx: &mut TestAppContext) {
         let app_state = init_test(cx);
diff --git a/docs/src/reference/all-settings.md b/docs/src/reference/all-settings.md
index 35ae9bb8dd..9dee351809 100644
--- a/docs/src/reference/all-settings.md
+++ b/docs/src/reference/all-settings.md
@@ -3438,6 +3438,30 @@ If you wish to exclude certain hosts from using the proxy, set the `NO_PROXY` en
 }
 ```
 
+## On New Window
+
+- Description: What to show when opening a new window.
+- Setting: `on_new_window`
+- Default: `"launchpad"`
+
+**Options**
+
+1. Show an empty untitled buffer:
+
+```json [settings]
+{
+  "on_new_window": "empty_tab"
+}
+```
+
+2. Show the launchpad with recent projects:
+
+```json [settings]
+{
+  "on_new_window": "launchpad"
+}
+```
+
 ## Instrumentation
 
 - Description: Configuration for developer-oriented instrumentation tools (profilers, tracers, etc.) that can be toggled at runtime.