diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ComponentCore.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ComponentCore.java
index 93c1e35..062a5e5 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ComponentCore.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ComponentCore.java
@@ -70,6 +70,26 @@
 	 * 
 	 * @param aProject
 	 *            A valid, accessible project to contain the component
+	 * @param checkForComponentFile
+	 *            A flag to indicate if the presence of the component file should be checked
+	 * @return A handle to an IVirtualComponent that may or may not exist or
+	 *         null if passed project does not contain ModuleCoreNature.
+	 * @see org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor#create(int, org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor)
+	 */
+	public static IVirtualComponent createComponent(IProject aProject, boolean checkForComponentFile) {
+		if (aProject == null || !aProject.isAccessible()){
+			return null;
+		}
+		return ComponentImplManager.instance().createComponent(aProject, checkForComponentFile);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Return an IVirtualComponent with the given name (aComponentName)
+	 * contained by the given project (aProject). Component names should be
+	 * unique across a project.
+	 * 
+	 * @param aProject
+	 *            A valid, accessible project to contain the component
 	 * @return A handle to an IVirtualComponent that may or may not exist or
 	 *         null if passed project does not contain ModuleCoreNature.
 	 * @deprecated
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ModuleCoreNature.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ModuleCoreNature.java
index 5b8a475..a3704cf 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ModuleCoreNature.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/ModuleCoreNature.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.IFile;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IProject;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IProjectDescription;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IProjectNature;
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.impl.ArtifactEditModelFactory;
 import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.impl.ComponentCoreURIConverter;
 import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.impl.ModuleStructuralModelFactory;
+import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.impl.WTPModulesResourceFactory;
 import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.impl.WTPResourceFactoryRegistry;
 import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.util.IModuleConstants;
 import org.eclipse.wst.common.componentcore.internal.util.ModuleCoreMessages;
@@ -165,8 +167,33 @@
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
+	// The existence of this Nature plus the component file on disk makes a flexible project
 	public static boolean isFlexibleProject(IProject project) {
-		return ModuleCoreNature.getModuleCoreNature(project) != null;
+		boolean foundNature = ModuleCoreNature.getModuleCoreNature(project) != null;
+		if (foundNature) {
+			return componentResourceExists(project);
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+	public static boolean componentResourceExists(IProject project) {
+		
+		IFile compFile = project.getFile(StructureEdit.MODULE_META_FILE_NAME);
+		if (compFile.isAccessible())
+			return true;
+		else { //Need to check for legacy file locations also....
+			compFile = project.getFile(ModuleStructuralModel.R1_MODULE_META_FILE_NAME);
+			if (compFile.isAccessible())
+				return true;
+			else {
+				compFile = project.getFile(ModuleStructuralModel.R0_7_MODULE_META_FILE_NAME);
+				if (compFile.isAccessible())
+					return true;
+				else {
+					compFile = project.getFile(WTPModulesResourceFactory.FIRST_WTP_MODULES_SHORT_NAME);
+					return compFile.isAccessible();
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/ModuleStructuralModel.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/ModuleStructuralModel.java
index a6ce890..46e1ca8 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/ModuleStructuralModel.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/ModuleStructuralModel.java
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@
 */ 
 public class ModuleStructuralModel extends EditModel implements IAdaptable {
 	
-	private static final String R0_7_MODULE_META_FILE_NAME = ".component";
-	private static final String R1_MODULE_META_FILE_NAME = ".settings/.component";
+	public static final String R0_7_MODULE_META_FILE_NAME = ".component";
+	public static final String R1_MODULE_META_FILE_NAME = ".settings/.component";
 	public static final String MODULE_CORE_ID = "moduleCoreId"; //$NON-NLS-1$ 
 	private static final String PROJECT_VERSION_1_5 = "1.5.0";
 	private boolean useOldFormat = false;
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/util/ComponentImplManager.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/util/ComponentImplManager.java
index 2cc2fdc..60a9feb 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/util/ComponentImplManager.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.wst.common.modulecore/modulecore-src/org/eclipse/wst/common/componentcore/internal/util/ComponentImplManager.java
@@ -169,6 +169,23 @@
 		return new VirtualComponent(project, new Path("/")); //$NON-NLS-1$
 	}
 
+	public IVirtualComponent createComponent(IProject project, boolean checkSettings) {
+		if  (checkSettings)
+			return createComponent(project);
+		try {
+			IComponentImplFactory factory = findFactoryForProject(project);
+			if(null != factory){
+				return factory.createComponent(project);
+			}
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			// Just return a default component
+		}
+		if (ModuleCoreNature.getModuleCoreNature(project) == null){
+			return null;
+		}
+		return new VirtualComponent(project, new Path("/")); //$NON-NLS-1$
+	}
+
 	public IVirtualComponent createArchiveComponent(IProject aProject, String aComponentName) {
 		try {
 			IComponentImplFactory factory = findFactoryForProject(aProject);