diff --git a/buildbot_nix/__init__.py b/buildbot_nix/__init__.py
index 3a742eb..34ae933 100644
--- a/buildbot_nix/__init__.py
+++ b/buildbot_nix/__init__.py
@@ -755,6 +755,18 @@ def setup_authz(projects: list[GithubProject], admins: list[str]) -> util.Authz:
     )
 
 
+class PeriodicWithStartup(schedulers.Periodic):
+    def __init__(self, *args: Any, run_on_startup: bool = False, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.run_on_startup = run_on_startup
+
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
+    def activate(self) -> Generator[Any, object, Any]:
+        if self.run_on_startup:
+            yield self.setState("last_build", None)
+        yield super().activate()
+
+
 class NixConfigurator(ConfiguratorBase):
     """Janitor is a configurator which create a Janitor Builder with all needed Janitor steps"""
 
@@ -841,11 +853,12 @@ class NixConfigurator(ConfiguratorBase):
                     builderNames=["reload-github-projects"],
                     buttonName="Update projects",
                 ),
-                # project list twice a day
-                schedulers.Periodic(
+                # project list twice a day and on startup
+                PeriodicWithStartup(
                     name="reload-github-projects-bidaily",
                     builderNames=["reload-github-projects"],
                     periodicBuildTimer=12 * 60 * 60,
+                    run_on_startup=not self.github.project_cache_file.exists(),
                 ),
             ],
         )
diff --git a/buildbot_nix/github_projects.py b/buildbot_nix/github_projects.py
index 2c703f6..67ae791 100644
--- a/buildbot_nix/github_projects.py
+++ b/buildbot_nix/github_projects.py
@@ -186,7 +186,9 @@ def refresh_projects(github_token: str, repo_cache_file: Path) -> None:
 
 def load_projects(github_token: str, repo_cache_file: Path) -> list[GithubProject]:
     if not repo_cache_file.exists():
-        log.msg("fetching github repositories")
-        refresh_projects(github_token, repo_cache_file)
-    repos: list[dict[str, Any]] = json.loads(repo_cache_file.read_text())
+        return []
+
+    repos: list[dict[str, Any]] = sorted(
+        json.loads(repo_cache_file.read_text()), key=lambda x: x["full_name"]
+    )
     return [GithubProject(repo) for repo in repos]