diff --git a/frontend/components/Inbox/InboxItems.tsx b/frontend/components/Inbox/InboxItems.tsx
index 6d6c735..e53b1f4 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Inbox/InboxItems.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/Inbox/InboxItems.tsx
@@ -55,11 +55,10 @@ const InboxItems: React.FC = () => {
   const refreshInboxItems = useCallback(() => {
     loadInboxItemsToStore();
   }, []);
-  
+
   useEffect(() => {
     // Initial data loading
     refreshInboxItems();
-    loadProjects();
     
     // Set up an event listener for force reload
     const handleForceReload = () => {
@@ -104,16 +103,6 @@ const InboxItems: React.FC = () => {
     };
   }, [refreshInboxItems, showSuccessToast, t]);
   
-  // Load projects for the modals
-  const loadProjects = async () => {
-    try {
-      const projectData = await fetchProjects();
-      setProjects(projectData);
-    } catch (error) {
-      console.error('Failed to load projects:', error);
-    }
-  };
-  
   const handleProcessItem = async (id: number) => {
     try {
       await processInboxItemWithStore(id);
@@ -155,7 +144,18 @@ const InboxItems: React.FC = () => {
   };
   
   // Modal handlers
-  const handleOpenTaskModal = (task: Task, inboxItemId?: number) => {
+  const handleOpenTaskModal = async (task: Task, inboxItemId?: number) => {
+    // Load projects first before opening the modal
+    try {
+      const projectData = await fetchProjects();
+      // Make sure we always set an array
+      setProjects(Array.isArray(projectData) ? projectData : []);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Failed to load projects:', error);
+      showErrorToast(t('project.loadError', 'Failed to load projects'));
+      setProjects([]); // Ensure we have an empty array even on error
+    }
+    
     setTaskToEdit(task);
     
     if (inboxItemId) {
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ const InboxItems: React.FC = () => {
         task={taskToEdit || { name: '', status: 'not_started', priority: 'medium' }}
         onSave={handleSaveTask}
         onDelete={() => {}} // No need to delete since it's a new task
-        projects={projects}
+        projects={Array.isArray(projects) ? projects : []}
         onCreateProject={handleCreateProject}
       />
       
diff --git a/frontend/components/Task/TaskModal.tsx b/frontend/components/Task/TaskModal.tsx
index b9c6961..95e65d6 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Task/TaskModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/Task/TaskModal.tsx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const TaskModal: React.FC<TaskModalProps> = ({
 }) => {
   const [formData, setFormData] = useState<Task>(task);
   const [tags, setTags] = useState<string[]>(task.tags?.map((tag) => tag.name) || []);
-  const [filteredProjects, setFilteredProjects] = useState<Project[]>(projects);
+  const [filteredProjects, setFilteredProjects] = useState<Project[]>(projects || []);
   const [newProjectName, setNewProjectName] = useState<string>("");
   const [isCreatingProject, setIsCreatingProject] = useState(false);
   const [dropdownOpen, setDropdownOpen] = useState(false);
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ const TaskModal: React.FC<TaskModalProps> = ({
     setFormData(task);
     setTags(task.tags?.map((tag) => tag.name) || []);
     
-    const currentProject = projects.find((project) => project.id === task.project_id);
+    // Safely find the current project, handling the case where projects might be undefined
+    const currentProject = projects?.find((project) => project.id === task.project_id);
     setNewProjectName(currentProject ? currentProject.name : '');
     
     // Fetch parent task if this is a child task
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ const TaskModal: React.FC<TaskModalProps> = ({
   };
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    setFilteredProjects(projects);
+    setFilteredProjects(projects || []);
   }, [projects]);
 
   useEffect(() => {