diff --git a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Resources/ProjectManager.qss b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Resources/ProjectManager.qss
index 16ef48ee7c..849c9cbf5c 100644
--- a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Resources/ProjectManager.qss
+++ b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Resources/ProjectManager.qss
@@ -71,3 +71,10 @@ QPushButton:focus {
     margin: 10px 0 10px 30px;
 }
 
+#labelButtonOverlay {
+    background-color: rgba(50,50,50,200);
+    min-width:210px;
+    max-width:210px;;
+    min-height:278px;
+    max-height:278px;
+}
diff --git a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.cpp b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.cpp
index ec1acdad61..dada54b1a2 100644
--- a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.cpp
+++ b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.cpp
@@ -31,11 +31,30 @@ namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
     LabelButton::LabelButton(QWidget* parent)
         : QLabel(parent)
     {
+        m_overlayLabel = new QLabel("", this);
+        m_overlayLabel->setObjectName("labelButtonOverlay");
+        m_overlayLabel->setWordWrap(true);
+        m_overlayLabel->setAlignment(Qt::AlignCenter);
+        m_overlayLabel->setVisible(false);
     }
 
     void LabelButton::mousePressEvent([[maybe_unused]] QMouseEvent* event)
     {
-        emit triggered();
+        if(m_enabled)
+        {
+            emit triggered();
+        }
+    }
+
+    void LabelButton::SetEnabled(bool enabled)
+    {
+        m_enabled = enabled;
+        m_overlayLabel->setVisible(!enabled);
+    }
+
+    void LabelButton::SetOverlayText(const QString& text)
+    {
+        m_overlayLabel->setText(text);
     }
 
     ProjectButton::ProjectButton(const QString& projectName, QWidget* parent)
@@ -99,4 +118,13 @@ namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
 #endif
     }
 
+    void ProjectButton::SetButtonEnabled(bool enabled)
+    {
+        m_projectImageLabel->SetEnabled(enabled);
+    }
+
+    void ProjectButton::SetButtonOverlayText(const QString& text)
+    {
+        m_projectImageLabel->SetOverlayText(text);
+    }
 } // namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
diff --git a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.h b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.h
index c1aee8e63e..43efaa1136 100644
--- a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.h
+++ b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectButtonWidget.h
@@ -32,11 +32,18 @@ namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
         explicit LabelButton(QWidget* parent = nullptr);
         ~LabelButton() = default;
 
+        void SetEnabled(bool enabled);
+        void SetOverlayText(const QString& text);
+
     signals:
         void triggered();
 
     public slots:
         void mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent* event) override;
+
+    private:
+        QLabel* m_overlayLabel;
+        bool m_enabled = true;
     };
 
     class ProjectButton
@@ -49,6 +56,9 @@ namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
         explicit ProjectButton(const QString& projectName, const QString& projectImage, QWidget* parent = nullptr);
         ~ProjectButton() = default;
 
+        void SetButtonEnabled(bool enabled);
+        void SetButtonOverlayText(const QString& text);
+
     signals:
         void OpenProject(const QString& projectName);
         void EditProject(const QString& projectName);
diff --git a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectsHomeScreen.cpp b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectsHomeScreen.cpp
index 411b46c55d..6c60685358 100644
--- a/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectsHomeScreen.cpp
+++ b/Code/Tools/ProjectManager/Source/ProjectsHomeScreen.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@
 
 #include <ProjectButtonWidget.h>
 #include <PythonBindingsInterface.h>
+#include <AzCore/Platform.h>
+#include <AzCore/IO/SystemFile.h>
+#include <AzFramework/AzFramework_Traits_Platform.h>
+#include <AzFramework/Process/ProcessCommon.h>
+#include <AzFramework/Process/ProcessWatcher.h>
+#include <AzCore/Utils/Utils.h>
 
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QHBoxLayout>
@@ -27,6 +33,8 @@
 #include <QListWidgetItem>
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QScrollArea>
+#include <QMessageBox>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
 {
@@ -127,8 +135,48 @@ namespace O3DE::ProjectManager
     }
     void ProjectsHomeScreen::HandleOpenProject(const QString& projectPath)
     {
-        // Open the editor with this project open
-        emit NotifyCurrentProject(projectPath);
+        if (!projectPath.isEmpty())
+        {
+            AZ::IO::FixedMaxPath executableDirectory = AZ::Utils::GetExecutableDirectory();
+            AZStd::string executableFilename = "Editor";
+            AZ::IO::FixedMaxPath editorExecutablePath = executableDirectory / (executableFilename + AZ_TRAIT_OS_EXECUTABLE_EXTENSION);
+            auto cmdPath = AZ::IO::FixedMaxPathString::format("%s -regset=\"/Amazon/AzCore/Bootstrap/project_path=%s\"", editorExecutablePath.c_str(), projectPath.toStdString().c_str());
+
+            AzFramework::ProcessLauncher::ProcessLaunchInfo processLaunchInfo;
+            processLaunchInfo.m_commandlineParameters = cmdPath;
+            bool launchSucceeded = AzFramework::ProcessLauncher::LaunchUnwatchedProcess(processLaunchInfo);
+            if (!launchSucceeded)
+            {
+                AZ_Error("ProjectManager", false, "Failed to launch editor");
+                QMessageBox::critical( this, tr("Error"), tr("Failed to launch the Editor, please verify the project settings are valid."));
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // prevent the user from accidentally pressing the button while the editor is launching
+                // and let them know what's happening
+                ProjectButton* button = qobject_cast<ProjectButton*>(sender());
+                if (button)
+                {
+                    button->SetButtonEnabled(false);
+                    button->SetButtonOverlayText(tr("Opening Editor..."));
+                }
+
+                // enable the button after 3 seconds 
+                constexpr int waitTimeInMs = 3000;
+                QTimer::singleShot(waitTimeInMs, this, [this, button] {
+                        if (button)
+                        {
+                            button->SetButtonEnabled(true);
+                        }
+                    });
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            AZ_Error("ProjectManager", false, "Cannot open editor because an empty project path was provided");
+            QMessageBox::critical( this, tr("Error"), tr("Failed to launch the Editor because the project path is invalid."));
+        }
+
     }
     void ProjectsHomeScreen::HandleEditProject(const QString& projectPath)
     {