diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManager.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManager.coffee
index 3f277fa931..7885107c92 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManager.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManager.coffee
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ MILISECONDS_IN_DAY = 86400000
 module.exports = InactiveProjectManager =
 
 	reactivateProjectIfRequired: (project_id, callback)->
-		ProjectGetter.getProject project_id, {inactive:true}, (err, project)->
+		ProjectGetter.getProject project_id, {active:true}, (err, project)->
 			if err?
 				logger.err err:err, project_id:project_id, "error getting project"
 				return callback(err)
-			logger.log project_id:project_id, inactive:project.inactive, "seeing if need to reactivate project"
+			logger.log project_id:project_id, active:project.active, "seeing if need to reactivate project"
 
-			if !project.inactive
+			if project.active
 				return callback()
 
 			DocstoreManager.unarchiveProject project_id, (err)->
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module.exports = InactiveProjectManager =
 		logger.log oldProjectDate:oldProjectDate, limit:limit, daysOld:daysOld, "starting process of deactivating old projects"
 		Project.find()
 			.where("lastOpened").lt(oldProjectDate)
-			.where("inactive").ne(true)
+			.where("active").equals(true)
 			.select("_id")
 			.limit(limit)
 			.exec (err, projects)->
diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectUpdateHandler.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectUpdateHandler.coffee
index 25466ec898..7738425c8e 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectUpdateHandler.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectUpdateHandler.coffee
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ module.exports =
 
 	markAsInactive: (project_id, callback)->
 		conditions = {_id:project_id}
-		update = {inactive:true}
+		update = {active:false}
 		Project.update conditions, update, {}, (err)->
 			if callback?
 				callback()
 
 	markAsActive: (project_id, callback)->
 		conditions = {_id:project_id}
-		update = { $unset: { inactive: true }}
+		update = {active:true}
 		Project.update conditions, update, {}, (err)->
 			if callback?
 				callback()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/models/Project.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/models/Project.coffee
index 010d48d9dd..8c458e28ed 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/models/Project.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/models/Project.coffee
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ ProjectSchema = new Schema
 	name              :   {type:String, default:'new project'}
 	lastUpdated       :   {type:Date, default: () -> new Date()}
 	lastOpened		  :   {type:Date}
-	inactive		  :   { type: Boolean }
+	active			  :   { type: Boolean,  default: true }
 	owner_ref         :   {type:ObjectId, ref:'User'}
 	collaberator_refs :   [ type:ObjectId, ref:'User' ]
 	readOnly_refs     :   [ type:ObjectId, ref:'User' ]
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManagerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManagerTests.coffee
index bd538c37f3..6befd7f70f 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManagerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/InactiveData/InactiveProjectManagerTests.coffee
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe "InactiveProjectManager", ->
 	describe "reactivateProjectIfRequired", ->
 
 		beforeEach ->
-			@project = {inactive:true}
+			@project = {active:false}
 			@ProjectGetter.getProject.callsArgWith(2, null, @project)
 			@ProjectUpdateHandler.markAsActive.callsArgWith(1)
 
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ describe "InactiveProjectManager", ->
 				done()
 
 
-		it "should not call unarchiveProject if it is not inactive", (done)->
-			delete @project.inactive
+		it "should not call unarchiveProject if it is active", (done)->
+			@project.active = true
 			@DocstoreManager.unarchiveProject.callsArgWith(1)
 			@InactiveProjectManager.reactivateProjectIfRequired @project_id, (err)=>
 				@DocstoreManager.unarchiveProject.calledWith(@project_id).should.equal false
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectUpdateHandlerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectUpdateHandlerTests.coffee
index 9aac418578..5922a027e3 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectUpdateHandlerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectUpdateHandlerTests.coffee
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe 'ProjectUpdateHandler', ->
 			@handler.markAsInactive project_id, (err)=>
 				args = @ProjectModel.update.args[0]
 				args[0]._id.should.equal project_id
-				args[1].inactive.should.equal true
+				args[1].active.should.equal false
 				done()
 
 	describe "markAsActive", ->
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe 'ProjectUpdateHandler', ->
 			@handler.markAsActive project_id, (err)=>
 				args = @ProjectModel.update.args[0]
 				args[0]._id.should.equal project_id
-				args[1]["$unset"].inactive.should.equal true
+				args[1].active.should.equal true
 				done()