diff --git a/services/history-v1/api/swagger/projects.js b/services/history-v1/api/swagger/projects.js
index f4b8ed7352..600e864f19 100644
--- a/services/history-v1/api/swagger/projects.js
+++ b/services/history-v1/api/swagger/projects.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ exports.paths = {
       operationId: 'initializeProject',
       tags: ['Project'],
       description: 'Initialize project.',
+      consumes: ['application/json'],
       parameters: [
         {
           name: 'body',
diff --git a/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/project_updates.test.js b/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/project_updates.test.js
index a248930cba..d67000245a 100644
--- a/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/project_updates.test.js
+++ b/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/project_updates.test.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const expectResponse = require('./support/expect_response')
 const testServer = require('./support/test_server')
 
 const core = require('overleaf-editor-core')
+const testProjects = require('./support/test_projects')
 const Change = core.Change
 const ChunkResponse = core.ChunkResponse
 const File = core.File
@@ -637,10 +638,10 @@ describe('history import', function () {
 
     let testProjectId
 
-    return BPromise.resolve(basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject())
-      .then(response => {
-        expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
-        testProjectId = response.obj.projectId
+    return testProjects
+      .createEmptyProject()
+      .then(projectId => {
+        testProjectId = projectId
         expect(testProjectId).to.be.a('string')
       })
       .then(() => {
@@ -705,10 +706,10 @@ describe('history import', function () {
 
     let testProjectId
 
-    return basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject()
-      .then(response => {
-        expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
-        testProjectId = response.obj.projectId
+    return testProjects
+      .createEmptyProject()
+      .then(projectId => {
+        testProjectId = projectId
         expect(testProjectId).to.be.a('string')
       })
       .then(() => {
@@ -756,10 +757,10 @@ describe('history import', function () {
 
     let testProjectId
 
-    return basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject()
-      .then(response => {
-        expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
-        testProjectId = response.obj.projectId
+    return testProjects
+      .createEmptyProject()
+      .then(projectId => {
+        testProjectId = projectId
         expect(testProjectId).to.be.a('string')
       })
       .then(() => {
@@ -802,10 +803,9 @@ describe('history import', function () {
   })
 
   it("returns unprocessable if end_version isn't provided", function () {
-    return basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject()
-      .then(response => {
-        expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
-        const projectId = response.obj.projectId
+    return testProjects
+      .createEmptyProject()
+      .then(projectId => {
         expect(projectId).to.be.a('string')
         return projectId
       })
@@ -828,11 +828,8 @@ describe('history import', function () {
   })
 
   it('returns unprocessable if return_snapshot is invalid', function () {
-    return basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject()
-      .then(response => {
-        expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
-        return response.obj.projectId
-      })
+    return testProjects
+      .createEmptyProject()
       .then(projectId => {
         // Import changes
         return basicAuthClient.apis.ProjectImport.importChanges1({
diff --git a/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/projects.test.js b/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/projects.test.js
index ade51e418c..6358f8505d 100644
--- a/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/projects.test.js
+++ b/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/projects.test.js
@@ -22,23 +22,16 @@ const {
   Change,
   AddFileOperation,
 } = require('overleaf-editor-core')
+const testProjects = require('./support/test_projects')
 
 describe('project controller', function () {
   beforeEach(cleanup.everything)
   beforeEach(fixtures.create)
 
   describe('initializeProject', function () {
-    let initializeProject
-
-    before(function () {
-      initializeProject =
-        testServer.basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject
-    })
-
     it('can initialize a new project', async function () {
-      const response = await initializeProject()
-      expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
-      expect(response.obj.projectId).to.be.a('string')
+      const projectId = await testProjects.createEmptyProject()
+      expect(projectId).to.be.a('string')
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/support/test_projects.js b/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/support/test_projects.js
index 9e97d8c77d..df4d83e537 100644
--- a/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/support/test_projects.js
+++ b/services/history-v1/test/acceptance/js/api/support/test_projects.js
@@ -5,9 +5,18 @@ const assert = require('../../../../../storage/lib/assert')
 
 const testServer = require('./test_server')
 
-exports.createEmptyProject = function () {
+/**
+ * Without a provided history id, a new one will get generated.
+ * The history id could either be a mongo id, or a postgres id.
+ *
+ * @param {string} [existingHistoryId]
+ * @return {Promise<string>}
+ */
+exports.createEmptyProject = function (existingHistoryId) {
   return BPromise.resolve(
-    testServer.basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject()
+    testServer.basicAuthClient.apis.Project.initializeProject({
+      body: { projectId: existingHistoryId },
+    })
   ).then(response => {
     expect(response.status).to.equal(HTTPStatus.OK)
     const { projectId } = response.obj