diff --git a/src/app_controller.py b/src/app_controller.py
index 21733ff..87433b7 100644
--- a/src/app_controller.py
+++ b/src/app_controller.py
@@ -1812,7 +1812,6 @@ class AppController:
 
  def _cb_project_save(self) -> None:
   self._flush_to_project()
-  self._save_active_project()
   self._flush_to_config()
   models.save_config(self.config)
   self._set_status("config saved")
@@ -1828,7 +1827,6 @@ class AppController:
    self._set_status(f"project file not found: {path}")
    return
   self._flush_to_project()
-  self._save_active_project()
   try:
    self.project = project_manager.load_project(path)
    self.active_project_path = path
@@ -2006,7 +2004,8 @@ class AppController:
  def _save_active_project(self) -> None:
   if self.active_project_path:
    try:
-    project_manager.save_project(self.project, self.active_project_path)
+    cleaned = project_manager.clean_nones(self.project)
+    project_manager.save_project(cleaned, self.active_project_path)
    except Exception as e:
     self._set_status(f"save error: {e}")
 
@@ -2324,6 +2323,9 @@ class AppController:
   else:
    mma_sec["active_track"] = None
 
+  cleaned_proj = project_manager.clean_nones(proj)
+  project_manager.save_project(cleaned_proj, self.active_project_path)
+
  def _flush_to_config(self) -> None:
   self.config["ai"] = {
    "provider": self.current_provider,
@@ -2360,7 +2362,6 @@ class AppController:
  def _do_generate(self) -> tuple[str, Path, list[dict[str, Any]], str, str]:
   """Returns (full_md, output_path, file_items, stable_md, discussion_text)."""
   self._flush_to_project()
-  self._save_active_project()
   self._flush_to_config()
   models.save_config(self.config)
   track_id = self.active_track.id if self.active_track else None
diff --git a/src/gui_2.py b/src/gui_2.py
index 1e4ea56..a32d98b 100644
--- a/src/gui_2.py
+++ b/src/gui_2.py
@@ -344,7 +344,6 @@ class App:
   if imgui.begin_menu("Project"):
    if imgui.menu_item("Save All", "", False)[0]:
     self._flush_to_project()
-    self._save_active_project()
     self._flush_to_config()
     models.save_config(self.config)
     self.ai_status = "config saved"
@@ -409,7 +408,6 @@ class App:
     self._last_autosave = now
     try:
      self._flush_to_project()
-     self._save_active_project()
      self._flush_to_config()
      models.save_config(self.config)
     except Exception:
@@ -1470,7 +1468,6 @@ class App:
   imgui.same_line()
   if imgui.button("Save All"):
    self._flush_to_project()
-   self._save_active_project()
    self._flush_to_config()
    models.save_config(self.config)
    self.ai_status = "config saved"
@@ -2085,7 +2082,6 @@ def hello():
    imgui.same_line()
    if imgui.button("Save"):
     self._flush_to_project()
-    self._save_active_project()
     self._flush_to_config()
     models.save_config(self.config)
     self.ai_status = "discussion saved"
diff --git a/src/project_manager.py b/src/project_manager.py
index 0d866bf..2fa227c 100644
--- a/src/project_manager.py
+++ b/src/project_manager.py
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ def save_project(proj: dict[str, Any], path: Union[str, Path], disc_data: Option
    disc_data = proj["discussion"]
   proj = dict(proj)
   del proj["discussion"]
+ proj = clean_nones(proj)
  with open(path, "wb") as f:
   tomli_w.dump(proj, f)
  if disc_data: