diff --git a/src/get-start-and-end-commands.js b/src/get-start-and-end-commands.js
index 7bd79188..8b8c4f32 100644
--- a/src/get-start-and-end-commands.js
+++ b/src/get-start-and-end-commands.js
@@ -23,11 +23,22 @@ const nodeModulesIgnore = `
 const lastNode8Version = '3.16';
 
 module.exports = function getStartAndEndCommands({
-  packageJson: { name: projectName },
+  packageJson,
   baseBlueprint,
   startBlueprint,
-  endBlueprint
+  endBlueprint,
+  emberCliUpdateJson
 }) {
+  // ember-cli-update.json can override projectName and we should use the name field in package.json if it doesn't exist
+  let projectName = emberCliUpdateJson?.projectName ?? packageJson.name;
+
+  // if we haven't overridden projectName in ember-cli-update or we don't have a name in the package.json file
+  // default to containing dir name
+  if (!projectName) {
+    let pathParts = process.cwd().split(path.sep);
+    projectName = pathParts[pathParts.length - 1];
+  }
+
   if (baseBlueprint && !baseBlueprint.isBaseBlueprint) {
     throw new Error('The intended base blueprint is not actually a base blueprint.');
   }
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 6b679ee4..47222dce 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ module.exports = async function emberCliUpdate({
         packageJson,
         baseBlueprint,
         startBlueprint,
-        endBlueprint
+        endBlueprint,
+        emberCliUpdateJson
       });
 
       return {