diff --git a/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Actions/LocalActions/InitAction.cs b/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Actions/LocalActions/InitAction.cs
index 99c4ec6ec..2bdfbe2ba 100644
--- a/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Actions/LocalActions/InitAction.cs
+++ b/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Actions/LocalActions/InitAction.cs
@@ -407,10 +407,9 @@ private static async Task WriteDockerfile(WorkerRuntime workerRuntime, string la
             if (WorkerRuntimeLanguageHelper.IsDotnet(workerRuntime) && string.IsNullOrEmpty(targetFramework))
             {
                 var functionAppRoot = ScriptHostHelpers.GetFunctionAppRootDirectory(Environment.CurrentDirectory);
-                string projectFilePath = ProjectHelpers.FindProjectFile(functionAppRoot);
-                if (projectFilePath != null)
+                if (functionAppRoot != null)
                 {
-                    targetFramework = await DotnetHelpers.DetermineTargetFramework(Path.GetDirectoryName(projectFilePath));
+                    targetFramework = await DotnetHelpers.DetermineTargetFramework(functionAppRoot);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Helpers/DotnetHelpers.cs b/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Helpers/DotnetHelpers.cs
index 5319e4b97..6ba842bc6 100644
--- a/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Helpers/DotnetHelpers.cs
+++ b/src/Azure.Functions.Cli/Helpers/DotnetHelpers.cs
@@ -31,16 +31,19 @@ public static void EnsureDotnet()
         /// e.g. in Directory.Build.props
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="projectDirectory">Directory containing the .csproj file</param>
+        /// <param name="projectFilename">Name of the .csproj file</param>
         /// <returns>Target framework, e.g. net8.0</returns>
         /// <exception cref="CliException"></exception>
-        public static async Task<string> DetermineTargetFramework(string projectDirectory)
+        public static async Task<string> DetermineTargetFramework(string projectDirectory, string projectFilename = null)
         {
             EnsureDotnet();
-            string projectFilename = null;
-            var projectFilePath = ProjectHelpers.FindProjectFile(projectDirectory);
-            if (projectFilePath != null)
+            if (projectFilename == null) 
             {
-                projectFilename = Path.GetFileName(projectFilePath);
+                var projectFilePath = ProjectHelpers.FindProjectFile(projectDirectory);
+                if (projectFilePath != null)
+                {
+                    projectFilename = Path.GetFileName(projectFilePath);
+                }
             }
             var exe = new Executable(
                 "dotnet",