diff --git a/Code/Framework/AzCore/AzCore/Settings/SettingsRegistryMergeUtils.cpp b/Code/Framework/AzCore/AzCore/Settings/SettingsRegistryMergeUtils.cpp
index 113fdd433e..e1bd717e7b 100644
--- a/Code/Framework/AzCore/AzCore/Settings/SettingsRegistryMergeUtils.cpp
+++ b/Code/Framework/AzCore/AzCore/Settings/SettingsRegistryMergeUtils.cpp
@@ -276,7 +276,9 @@ namespace AZ::SettingsRegistryMergeUtils
             return engineRoot;
         }
 
-        return {};
+        // Fall back to using the project root as the engine root if the engine path could not be reconciled
+        // by checking the project.json "engine" string within o3de_manifest.json "engine_paths" object
+        return projectRoot;
     }
 
     AZ::IO::FixedMaxPath FindProjectRoot(SettingsRegistryInterface& settingsRegistry)
@@ -309,7 +311,13 @@ namespace AZ::SettingsRegistryMergeUtils
             return projectRoot;
         }
 
-        return {};
+        // Step 3 Check for a "Cache" directory by scanning upwards from the executable directory
+        if (auto candidateRoot = Internal::ScanUpRootLocator("Cache");
+            !candidateRoot.empty() && AZ::IO::SystemFile::IsDirectory(candidateRoot.c_str()))
+        {
+            projectRoot = AZStd::move(candidateRoot);
+        }
+        return projectRoot;
     }
 
     AZStd::string_view ConfigParserSettings::DefaultCommentPrefixFilter(AZStd::string_view line)
diff --git a/Code/Framework/AzGameFramework/AzGameFramework/Application/GameApplication.cpp b/Code/Framework/AzGameFramework/AzGameFramework/Application/GameApplication.cpp
index 475a7d5504..424132b624 100644
--- a/Code/Framework/AzGameFramework/AzGameFramework/Application/GameApplication.cpp
+++ b/Code/Framework/AzGameFramework/AzGameFramework/Application/GameApplication.cpp
@@ -28,20 +28,22 @@ namespace AzGameFramework
         // can read from the FileIOBase instance if available
         m_settingsRegistry->SetUseFileIO(true);
 
-        // Attempt to mount the engine pak from the Executable Directory
-        // at the Assets alias, otherwise to attempting to mount the engine pak
-        // from the Cache folder
-        AZ::IO::FixedMaxPath enginePakPath = AZ::Utils::GetExecutableDirectory();
-        enginePakPath /= "engine.pak";
-        if (!m_archive->OpenPack("@assets@", enginePakPath.Native()))
+        // Attempt to mount the engine pak to the project product asset alias
+        // Search Order:
+        // - Project Cache Root Directory
+        // - Executable Directory
+        bool enginePakOpened{};
+        AZ::IO::FixedMaxPath enginePakPath;
+        if (m_settingsRegistry->Get(enginePakPath.Native(), AZ::SettingsRegistryMergeUtils::FilePathKey_CacheRootFolder))
         {
-            enginePakPath.clear();
-            if (m_settingsRegistry->Get(enginePakPath.Native(), AZ::SettingsRegistryMergeUtils::FilePathKey_CacheRootFolder))
-            {
-                // fall back to checking Project Cache Root.
-                enginePakPath /= "engine.pak";
-                m_archive->OpenPack("@assets@", enginePakPath.Native());
-            }
+            // fall back to checking Project Cache Root.
+            enginePakPath /= "engine.pak";
+            enginePakOpened = m_archive->OpenPack("@projectproductassets@", enginePakPath.Native());
+        }
+        if (!enginePakOpened)
+        {
+            enginePakPath = AZ::IO::FixedMaxPath(AZ::Utils::GetExecutableDirectory()) / "engine.pak";
+            m_archive->OpenPack("@projectproductassets@", enginePakPath.Native());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/cmake/Platform/Common/Install_common.cmake b/cmake/Platform/Common/Install_common.cmake
index 5fa7f21939..8fb2effe29 100644
--- a/cmake/Platform/Common/Install_common.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Platform/Common/Install_common.cmake
@@ -430,21 +430,6 @@ function(ly_setup_cmake_install)
         DESTINATION .
         COMPONENT ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_COMPONENT_NAME}
     )
-    string(CONFIGURE [=[
-if("${CMAKE_INSTALL_CONFIG_NAME}" MATCHES "^([Rr][Ee][Ll][Ee][Aa][Ss][Ee])$")
-    set(install_output_folder "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/@runtime_output_directory@")
-    file(WRITE ${install_output_folder}/engine.json 
-"{
-    \"engine_name\": \"@LY_VERSION_ENGINE_NAME@\"
-}")
-endif()
-]=]
-        install_engine_json_release
-        @ONLY
-    )
-    install(CODE ${install_engine_json_release}
-        COMPONENT ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_COMPONENT_NAME} # use the default for the time being
-    )
 
     # Collect all Find files that were added with ly_add_external_target_path
     unset(additional_find_files)
diff --git a/cmake/Projects.cmake b/cmake/Projects.cmake
index 6109229e72..c09fe0fc6f 100644
--- a/cmake/Projects.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Projects.cmake
@@ -173,12 +173,9 @@ if("${CMAKE_INSTALL_CONFIG_NAME}" MATCHES "^([Rr][Ee][Ll][Ee][Aa][Ss][Ee])$")
             message(STATUS "${install_output_folder}/engine.pak generated")
         endif()
     endif()
-    file(WRITE ${install_output_folder}/project.json 
-"{
-    \"project_name\": \"@project_name@\"
-}")
 endif()
 ]=])
+
     string(CONFIGURE "${install_engine_pak_template}" install_engine_pak_code @ONLY)
     ly_install_run_code("${install_engine_pak_code}")