diff --git a/bench/bench.py b/bench/bench.py
index 0b0c7af77..01a611d86 100644
--- a/bench/bench.py
+++ b/bench/bench.py
@@ -62,13 +62,13 @@ def __init__(self, path):
 		self.cwd = os.path.abspath(path)
 		self.exists = is_bench_directory(self.name)
 
+		self.apps_txt = os.path.join(self.name, "sites", "apps.txt")
+		self.excluded_apps_txt = os.path.join(self.name, "sites", "excluded_apps.txt")
+
 		self.setup = BenchSetup(self)
 		self.teardown = BenchTearDown(self)
 		self.apps = BenchApps(self)
 
-		self.apps_txt = os.path.join(self.name, "sites", "apps.txt")
-		self.excluded_apps_txt = os.path.join(self.name, "sites", "excluded_apps.txt")
-
 	@property
 	def python(self) -> str:
 		return get_env_cmd("python", bench_path=self.name)
@@ -274,11 +274,14 @@ def sync(
 
 	def initialize_apps(self):
 		try:
-			self.apps = [
-				x
-				for x in os.listdir(os.path.join(self.bench.name, "apps"))
-				if is_frappe_app(os.path.join(self.bench.name, "apps", x))
-			]
+			with open(self.bench.apps_txt) as f:
+				self.apps = [
+					app.strip()
+					for app in f.read().split("\n")
+					if len(app) > 0 and is_frappe_app(os.path.join(self.bench.name, "apps", app))
+				]
+
+			# FIXME: can be remove
 			self.apps.remove("frappe")
 			self.apps.insert(0, "frappe")
 		except FileNotFoundError: