diff --git a/api/controllers/v2/github.ts b/api/controllers/v2/github.ts
index 7c479ac29..db4880496 100644
--- a/api/controllers/v2/github.ts
+++ b/api/controllers/v2/github.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export const triggerSmokeTestAutomatedBuild = async (event: APIGatewayEvent): Pr
   const db = client.db(c.get('dbName'));
   const consoleLogger = new ConsoleLogger();
   const jobRepository = new JobRepository(db, c, consoleLogger);
-  const projectsRepository = new ProjectsRepository(client.db('docs_metadata'), c, consoleLogger);
+  const projectsRepository = new ProjectsRepository(client.db(process.env.METADATA_DB_NAME), c, consoleLogger);
   const repoBranchesRepository = new RepoBranchesRepository(db, c, consoleLogger);
   const docsetsRepository = new DocsetsRepository(db, c, consoleLogger);
 
diff --git a/infrastructure/ecs-main/ecs_service.yml b/infrastructure/ecs-main/ecs_service.yml
index 2fdad6e1d..1bb6a5333 100644
--- a/infrastructure/ecs-main/ecs_service.yml
+++ b/infrastructure/ecs-main/ecs_service.yml
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ Resources:
               Value: ${self:custom.repoBranchesCollection}
             - Name: DOCSETS_COL_NAME
               Value: ${self:custom.docsetsCollection}
+            - Name: PROJECTS_COL_NAME
+              Value: ${self:custom.projectsCollection}
             - Name: NPM_BASE_64_AUTH
               Value: ${self:custom.npmBase64Auth}
             - Name: NPM_EMAIL
diff --git a/serverless.yml b/serverless.yml
index 66a398034..3299feee3 100644
--- a/serverless.yml
+++ b/serverless.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ custom:
   entitlementCollection: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/atlas/collections/user/entitlements}
   repoBranchesCollection: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/atlas/collections/repo}
   docsetsCollection: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/atlas/collections/docsets}
+  projectsCollection: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/atlas/collections/projects}
   githubSecret: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/github/webhook/secret}
   githubDeletionSecret: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/github/webhook/deletionSecret}
   githubBotPW: ${ssm:/env/${self:provider.stage}/docs/worker_pool/github/bot/password}
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ webhook-env-core: &webhook-env-core
   GITHUB_BOT_PASSWORD: ${self:custom.githubBotPW}
   REPO_BRANCHES_COL_NAME: ${self:custom.repoBranchesCollection}
   DOCSETS_COL_NAME: ${self:custom.docsetsCollection}
+  PROJECTS_COL_NAME: ${self:custom.projectsCollection}
   SLACK_SECRET: ${self:custom.slackSecret}
   SLACK_TOKEN: ${self:custom.slackAuthToken}
   SNOOTY_SECRET: ${self:custom.snootySecret}
diff --git a/src/repositories/projectsRepository.ts b/src/repositories/projectsRepository.ts
index ea5085549..f51912835 100644
--- a/src/repositories/projectsRepository.ts
+++ b/src/repositories/projectsRepository.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { ILogger } from '../services/logger';
 
 //Project information from docs_metadata.projects for parser builds.
 
-const projectsCollectionName = process.env.PROJECTS_COL_NAME || 'projects';
+const projectsCollectionName = process.env.PROJECTS_COL_NAME || '';
 
 export class ProjectsRepository extends BaseRepository {
   constructor(db: mongodb.Db, config: IConfig, logger: ILogger) {