diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/csharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/csharp/cdk.template.json
index 6711bc81bde11..054ecec595e7c 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/csharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/csharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
index 040844e83e006..b7b6120fd4bca 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json
index 6711bc81bde11..054ecec595e7c 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
index 040844e83e006..b7b6120fd4bca 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v1/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/csharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/csharp/cdk.template.json
index 6711bc81bde11..054ecec595e7c 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/csharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/csharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
index 040844e83e006..b7b6120fd4bca 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json
index 6711bc81bde11..054ecec595e7c 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/csharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.csproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
index 040844e83e006..b7b6120fd4bca 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/v2/sample-app/fsharp/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "app": "dotnet run -p src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
+  "app": "dotnet run --project src/%name.PascalCased%/%name.PascalCased%.fsproj",
   "watch": {
     "include": ["**"],
     "exclude": [