diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py
index ce851d2dbe..f7ddab9f1e 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py
@@ -3238,36 +3238,21 @@ def iter_shader_edits(relationships, shader_nodes, nodes_by_id, label=None):
 
 
 def set_colorspace():
-    """Set Colorspace from project configuration
-    """
+    """Set Colorspace from project configuration"""
 
-    # set color spaces for rendering space and view transforms
-    def _colormanage(**kwargs):
-        """Wrapper around `cmds.colorManagementPrefs`.
-
-        This logs errors instead of raising an error so color management
-        settings get applied as much as possible.
-
-        """
-        assert len(kwargs) == 1, "Must receive one keyword argument"
-        try:
-            cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, **kwargs)
-            log.debug("Setting Color Management Preference: {}".format(kwargs))
-        except RuntimeError as exc:
-            log.error(exc)
-
-    project_name = os.getenv("AVALON_PROJECT")
+    project_name = get_current_project_name()
     imageio = get_project_settings(project_name)["maya"]["imageio"]
 
     # ocio compatibility variables
     ocio_v2_maya_version = 2022
     maya_version = int(cmds.about(version=True))
     ocio_v2_support = use_ocio_v2 = maya_version >= ocio_v2_maya_version
+    is_ocio_set = bool(os.environ.get("OCIO"))
 
-    root_dict = {}
     use_workfile_settings = imageio.get("workfile", {}).get("enabled")
-
     if use_workfile_settings:
+        root_dict = imageio["workfile"]
+    else:
         # TODO: deprecated code from 3.15.5 - remove
         # Maya 2022+ introduces new OCIO v2 color management settings that
         # can override the old color management preferences. OpenPype has
@@ -3290,40 +3275,63 @@ def set_colorspace():
         if not isinstance(root_dict, dict):
             msg = "set_colorspace(): argument should be dictionary"
             log.error(msg)
+            return
 
-    else:
-        root_dict = imageio["workfile"]
+    # backward compatibility
+    # TODO: deprecated code from 3.15.5 - remove with deprecated code above
+    view_name = root_dict.get("viewTransform")
+    if view_name is None:
+        view_name = root_dict.get("viewName")
 
     log.debug(">> root_dict: {}".format(pformat(root_dict)))
+    if not root_dict:
+        return
 
-    if root_dict:
-        # enable color management
-        cmds.colorManagementPrefs(e=True, cmEnabled=True)
-        cmds.colorManagementPrefs(e=True, ocioRulesEnabled=True)
+    # set color spaces for rendering space and view transforms
+    def _colormanage(**kwargs):
+        """Wrapper around `cmds.colorManagementPrefs`.
 
-        # backward compatibility
-        # TODO: deprecated code from 3.15.5 - refactor to use new settings
-        view_name = root_dict.get("viewTransform")
-        if view_name is None:
-            view_name = root_dict.get("viewName")
+        This logs errors instead of raising an error so color management
+        settings get applied as much as possible.
 
-        if use_ocio_v2:
-            # Use Maya 2022+ default OCIO v2 config
+        """
+        assert len(kwargs) == 1, "Must receive one keyword argument"
+        try:
+            cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, **kwargs)
+            log.debug("Setting Color Management Preference: {}".format(kwargs))
+        except RuntimeError as exc:
+            log.error(exc)
+
+    # enable color management
+    cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, cmEnabled=True)
+    cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, ocioRulesEnabled=True)
+
+    if use_ocio_v2:
+        log.info("Using Maya OCIO v2")
+        if not is_ocio_set:
+            # Set the Maya 2022+ default OCIO v2 config file path
             log.info("Setting default Maya OCIO v2 config")
-            cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, configFilePath="")
+            # Note: Setting "" as value also sets this default however
+            # introduces a bug where launching a file on startup will prompt
+            # to save the empty scene before it, so we set using the path.
+            # This value has been the same for 2022, 2023 and 2024
+            path = "<MAYA_RESOURCES>/OCIO-configs/Maya2022-default/config.ocio"
+            cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, configFilePath=path)
 
-            # set rendering space and view transform
-            _colormanage(renderingSpaceName=root_dict["renderSpace"])
-            _colormanage(viewName=view_name)
-            _colormanage(displayName=root_dict["displayName"])
-        else:
+        # set rendering space and view transform
+        _colormanage(renderingSpaceName=root_dict["renderSpace"])
+        _colormanage(viewName=view_name)
+        _colormanage(displayName=root_dict["displayName"])
+    else:
+        log.info("Using Maya OCIO v1 (legacy)")
+        if not is_ocio_set:
             # Set the Maya default config file path
             log.info("Setting default Maya OCIO v1 legacy config")
             cmds.colorManagementPrefs(edit=True, configFilePath="legacy")
 
-            # set rendering space and view transform
-            _colormanage(renderingSpaceName=root_dict["renderSpace"])
-            _colormanage(viewTransformName=view_name)
+        # set rendering space and view transform
+        _colormanage(renderingSpaceName=root_dict["renderSpace"])
+        _colormanage(viewTransformName=view_name)
 
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager