diff --git a/scrapy/commands/startproject.py b/scrapy/commands/startproject.py
index 1d73fa0cb..1b6374c39 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/startproject.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/startproject.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import re
 import os
 import string
-from importlib import import_module
+from importlib.util import find_spec
 from os.path import join, exists, abspath
 from shutil import ignore_patterns, move, copy2, copystat
 from stat import S_IWUSR as OWNER_WRITE_PERMISSION
@@ -42,11 +42,8 @@ class Command(ScrapyCommand):
 
     def _is_valid_name(self, project_name):
         def _module_exists(module_name):
-            try:
-                import_module(module_name)
-                return True
-            except ImportError:
-                return False
+            spec = find_spec(module_name)
+            return spec is not None and spec.loader is not None
 
         if not re.search(r'^[_a-zA-Z]\w*$', project_name):
             print('Error: Project names must begin with a letter and contain'
diff --git a/tests/test_commands.py b/tests/test_commands.py
index eec1f02ee..74b917d93 100644
--- a/tests/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_commands.py
@@ -71,9 +71,14 @@ class ProjectTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def proc(self, *new_args, **popen_kwargs):
         args = (sys.executable, '-m', 'scrapy.cmdline') + new_args
-        p = subprocess.Popen(args, cwd=self.cwd, env=self.env,
-                             stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-                             **popen_kwargs)
+        p = subprocess.Popen(
+            args,
+            cwd=popen_kwargs.pop('cwd', self.cwd),
+            env=self.env,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+            **popen_kwargs,
+        )
 
         def kill_proc():
             p.kill()
@@ -93,7 +98,10 @@ class ProjectTest(unittest.TestCase):
 class StartprojectTest(ProjectTest):
 
     def test_startproject(self):
-        self.assertEqual(0, self.call('startproject', self.project_name))
+        p, out, err = self.proc('startproject', self.project_name)
+        print(out)
+        print(err, file=sys.stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(p.returncode, 0)
 
         assert exists(join(self.proj_path, 'scrapy.cfg'))
         assert exists(join(self.proj_path, 'testproject'))
@@ -128,6 +136,25 @@ class StartprojectTest(ProjectTest):
         self.assertEqual(2, self.call('startproject'))
         self.assertEqual(2, self.call('startproject', self.project_name, project_dir, 'another_params'))
 
+    def test_existing_project_dir(self):
+        project_dir = mkdtemp()
+        project_name = self.project_name + '_existing'
+        project_path = os.path.join(project_dir, project_name)
+        os.mkdir(project_path)
+
+        p, out, err = self.proc('startproject', project_name, cwd=project_dir)
+        print(out)
+        print(err, file=sys.stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(p.returncode, 0)
+
+        assert exists(join(abspath(project_path), 'scrapy.cfg'))
+        assert exists(join(abspath(project_path), project_name))
+        assert exists(join(join(abspath(project_path), project_name), '__init__.py'))
+        assert exists(join(join(abspath(project_path), project_name), 'items.py'))
+        assert exists(join(join(abspath(project_path), project_name), 'pipelines.py'))
+        assert exists(join(join(abspath(project_path), project_name), 'settings.py'))
+        assert exists(join(join(abspath(project_path), project_name), 'spiders', '__init__.py'))
+
 
 def get_permissions_dict(path, renamings=None, ignore=None):